Rebirth of a Legend
by Ranmawho1
Summary: Ranma Saotome, 16 year old heir to Anything Goes Martial Arts, a fighter without peer, and... Dead! Due to a whim of fate, Ranma finds himself on the cusp of life and death, about to discover secrets that can change his life forever! Rewrite of Feelings
1. Chapter 1 A Hero, Lost?

As I told all of my readers in an A/N in 'Feelings', I was gonna rewrite the chapters, and here it is, the first chapter of 'Feelings, Rewrite'.

**Chapter 1,**

**A Hero, Lost?**

It is often said that there is no such thing as chance, that everything is controlled by a greater power. Many believe this greater power is called Fate, that everything has been predestined to happen as it does.

This, however, is only partially true. There is a system to which everything revolves around, for which every new life there is a death, for every right there is a wrong, for every shining light there is a darkness.

Balance...

Everything that was, that is, or that ever will be is bound to this one truth. Balance is what makes everything that it is. It is because of the darkness that light is able to shine, and it is because of that shining light that the darkness is created. Both may hate the other, and wish that the other did not exist, yet, without that opposite, neither could be, for they would have nothing to balance them, to give their existence meaning.

However, on the occasion, even this inescapable rule, though it cannot be broken, can be bent a little, creating an entirely new future.

* * *

Ranma Saotome, one of the greatest martial artists alive and heir to the Indiscriminate Grappling School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, watched helplessly as the moxibustion chart clenched in his teeth was shredded by the high velocity winds of the Hiryu-Shoten-Ha while he clutched his fiancee Akane Tendo to his chest. _"The... The chart..."_ He thought as he watched with growing horror. _"The chart that shows the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion Point... My only hope to regain my strength is... is gone..."_ That one horrifing realization hit the young heir as he and Akane were hurled around like rag dolls in the raging twister.

On the ground, everyone watched with baited breath as the wind funnel continued to rage, having already disgoreged it's targets, the technique was beginning to die down, though it was still spitting out several articles that it had sucked up, including what seemed to be a brownish white confetti that started to drift lazily towards the ground. Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, Cologne used her walking stick to pogo to where one of the largest pieces, barely the size of a postage stamp, was fluttering towards the ground. Snatching the piece out of the air, the old woman studied it, her eyes widening a bit as her suspicions were confirmed. "Quickly, everyone!" Cologne called out, catching everyone's attention there. "You must retrieve that confetti! Without it, my son-in-law will die a weakling!" She ordered, all of the assembled youth obeying her commands and beginning to collect the miniscule pieces of parchment from the air.

Then, to everyone's growing horror, fate seemed to choose that moment to have it's way with them, and a strong gust of wind blew through, carrying the rest of the paper away before even half of it had been gathered, taking them to parts unkown. "Oh no..." Cologne breathed, feeling the first twinge of hoplessness since this whole fiasco had begun.

Ranma, having managed to catch everything that had gone on, felt his being filled with dispair as he managed to catch a bird's eye view of his one hope be scattered to the four winds. _"It's all over... Without my art, I'm nothing..."_ He thought in sadness. "Akane... I'm sorry..." Looking down at the unconcious woman in his arms, he mentally shook off his negative feelings. "I can't give up yet! If nothing else, I'll protect Akane from harm!" He declared, firming his resolve as the last vestages of the tornado, which had carried the duo a couple hundred feet into the air, finally died away, leaving them with no support as the began to plummet to the ground. With a grim smile, Ranma protectivly wrapped himself around Akane, clutching her head to his chest as he began to fall backwards, preparing himself to use the last of what he had to shield Akane from the impact.

Everyone looked up, wondering just what Ranma was doing as the Hiryu-Shoten-Ha died away. "Uh-oh, they've got a rough landing coming up!" Ukyo exclaimed.

"Ranma may have it coming, but not Akane!" Ryoga yelled, clenching his fists. "Wait... What's Ranma doing?" He asked, noting with surprize when Ranma placed himself beneath Akane as they began to fall towards the ground, rapidly building speed.

"Quickly! We must do something to save them!" Cologne ordered as she and the other martial artists began to rush forward in an attempt to save the pair. Unfortunatly, they had taken too long in overcoming their shock, and before they could reach them, Ranma and Akane slammed into the crater creater by the Hiryu-Shoten-Ha with a sickening crunch.

Akane was jostled awake by a sudden, jarring impact that was almost enough to hurt. Her eyes fluttering open, the dark-haired girl sat up, blearily rubbing her eyes. "Wh-what happened? Did I pass out? Did we get the chart?" She asked herself.

"Hey... You ok Tomboy?"

Realizing for the first time that she was on top of someone, Akane looked down, seeing that it was Ranma that was beneath her. "Ranma! Did you manage to get the chart?" She asked, blinking.

Ranma smiled weakly up at his fiancee, his eyes half-lidded and dull. "Suh... Sorry... 'Kane..." He breathed, blood bubbling between his lips before trickling down across his left cheek.

"Ruh-Ranma?" Akane asked, her eyes widening in horror. "RANMA!" She yelled, grabbing at him desperatly.

"No child! Don't do anything or you may aggravate his wounds further!" Cologne yelled, reaching the duo before Akane could jostle the downed martial-artist. Placing her fingers gingerly on the side of his neck, Cologne noted with no small amount of relief that he did indeed still have a heartbeat, but she could tell that he was fading. "Quickly! We must get him to a doctor!" She yelled out.

Almost instantly, several teens showed up, bearing an armband with a cross on it. "Don't worry ma'am, we've already contacted the hospital, and they just sent out an ambulance which will be here shortly! In the meantime, we of the Furenkin Medical Club will take over care for the patient until they arrive, so please clear away!" One of the teens ordered as the others set about securing Ranma to a brace-board while another used a suction to draw the blood out of Ranma's airways before placing an oxygen mask over his face while Cologne pelled Akane away towards Ukyo and Ryoga.

Without warning, the ground not too far from the quartet erupted, and Happosai jumped out, looking hardly the worse for wear. "Ranma! I have come back from the depths of hell itself to get my revenge!" He bellowed, looking around for the cursed boy as he pulled out some fireworks, a sneer on his face.

"YOU!" Akane snarled, feeling her helplessness over Ranma's situation build into anger at seeing the current object of all their woes.

"What about me, sweet Akane?" Happosai asked, oblivious to the killer-intent that was pouring off her in waves.

Akane hung her head, trembling, looking over at Ranma with a side glance. "You... You're the reason why Ranma's like that! I'm gonna send you to Hell for real for what you've done to him!" She screamed, her ki manifesting itself as an aura of cold rage around her as she charged at the diminuitive headmaster, aiming a sweeping kick at him, which he jumped over, only to be smacked with her mallet, smashing him into the ground.

"HEEEY! What was that for?!" Happosai whined, rubbing his head as he sat up, rubbing his head.

"Because of what you did to Ranma! That's why!" Akane screamed, tears welling in her eyes as she pointed over to where Ranma was, just as an ambulance showed up, and a pair of paramedics jumped out to help the FMC with loading Ranma's still form into the back.

Happosai, for his part, was genuinly surprized. "What happened to the boy?" He asked, feeling a twinge of worry.

Now Akane began to cry freely. "Ranma got seriously hurt protecting me from the fall after that technique died out! And we don't even have anything to show for it, because the chart was shredded! This all wouldn't have happened in the first place if only you hadn't have placed that damned seal on him! I hate you!" She cried, dropping her mallet as she went to punch Happosai, only to be stopped as Ryoga grabbed her by the wrist.

"Akane, this isn't the way to do things, beating the old man up won't solve Ranma's problems." Ryoga consoled, images of Akane flinging herself into his arms to cry before declaring her undying love for him flitting through his head. Unfortunatly, the dreaded foot-in-the-mouth disease that all young men seem to have decided to strike just then. "Besides, after everything he's done, you've gotta wonder if Ranma deserved what he got." He unwisely said.

Hearing those words got Akane's bood to boiling again as she levelled an icy glare at Ryoga. "Ryoga you big jerk! He didn't deserve to be hurt like that!" She yelled, striking the cursed boy with a clean right hook, knocking him out before he realized what had happened.

Happosai whistled in appreciation. "Whew! To be able to knock out that boy like that with only one punch! She must really be worked up!" The diminuitive teacher mused.

Cologne, standing only a few feet away, shot Happosai a glare. "She's right though, if it'd hadn't have been for your foolishness, this would've never happened in the first place." She pointed out.

Happosai pulled out his pipe and lit up, inhaling deeply. "Yeah, but I wasn't expecting something like this to happen! It was an extreme stroke of bad luck on all parts- I was not intending for something like this at all." He defended,, blowing a smoke ring into the air.

Akane rounded on the little man, her anger growing. "Didn't mean for it to happen? DIDN'T MEAN FOR IT TO HAPPEN?! Well it did happen! And all because you were being petty!" She screamed, getting ready to attack Happosai once again.

Ukyo decided to take that time to step between the pair, holding her hands out in a placating manner. "Hey hey guys! Instead of fighting, why don't we go to the hospital to see how Ranma-honey's doing?" She asked, hoping that the mention of the pigtailed youth would help to simmer the fight that was threatening to explode.

"The Kuonji girl is right, we should really go check up on son-in-law." Cologne interjected, quietly thankful for Ukyo's timely intercession.

Akane nodded. "Well, what are you all waiting for?!" She asked, dashing off towards the hospital, the others hot on her heels.

* * *

The troupe had managed to reach Nerima's hospital in record time, and though they had managed to find out which emergecny room Ranma was located in, they found themselves blocked by several orderlies. This didn't help Akane's mood at all as they were refused entry. "What's going on? Why can't we go in to see him?" She demanded, her anger building, though underliend by a huge sense of worry- they never would do something like this if it wasn't bad.

Before any of the orderlies could answer, the door to the emergency room opened, and Tofu stepped out, wearing scrubs, with a despondant look on his face as he pulled off his mask. "Dr. Tofu? What are you doing here?" Akane asked, her sense of worry growing.

Tofu sighed, leaning up against the door he'd just come out of. "I was here, helping a colleague, when they rushed Ranma in, and I was drafted to the response team working on him, since I am his doctor, and because of my knowlage on the human body. We did all we could, however..." He trailed off, looking away as he removed his glasses to rub his eyes. "The internal damage is too great, along with all of his broken bones... Akane... It's a good thing you've shown up when you did. Ranma's regained conciousness, and he's in there asking for you. I was just coming out so that I could give you a call..." He looked up at the girl, who was beginning to tear up. "Were it anyone else, they'd be dead already. As it is, Ranma's only barely holding on, because of his intense training. I'm afraid..." He looked away again, stepping aside, learing the way for Akane. "... Afraid that he's not going to make it. And he's wanting to speak to you, alone." He finished, quietly opening the door.

"Ranma!" Akane cried out, rushing past Dr. Tofu into Ranma's room as the doctor closed the door behind her, giving her and Ranma some privacy. Seeing Ranma laying there, hooked up to several machines and covered in bandages, Akane choked back a sob as she approached him, sitting down beside the pigtailed youth's bed. "Ranma? Can you here me? I'm here Ranma." She said quietly.

Ranma's eyes weakly fluttered open, and he looked up into akane's face, still tracked with fresh tears. "Heh... What's this? Cryin' over me?" He weakly joked, struggling to lift his right hand.

Akane took Ranma's offered hand in both of hers, lifting it so that he could press the back of his hand against her cheek. "You baka, why'd you have to go and get hurt like that?" She asked, trying to smile, but only managing to burst into a fresh set of tears.

Ranma managed a small grin. "Hey hey, no more of that, alright? Ya know I can't stand to see ya cry..." He gently chided. "Akane... I just... Just wanted ta say... I'm sorry..." he managed to get out, feeling his lids become heavy.

Akane shook her head. "Ranma, please don't. You don't have to apologize for anything." She replied, her eyes shining.

Ranma's smirk grew a little more. "Y'know... I never knew how ya felt... But ya must've hated me... Though... I... From the moment I met ya... I was head over heels for ya... And woulda been proud... Ta call ya my wife, Akane..." He said his breathing becoming shallower.

Akane choked up, her tears running freely as she clenched her eyes shut. "Ranma, don't talk like your gonna leave! Your gonna get all better, and then we're gonna find a way to cure you of what that horrible old man did to you, and then we're gonna sort out all of the other messes, and then live happily ever after!" She exclaimed, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

"That... Sounds nice..." Ranma breathed, and then his hand went slack in Akane's grip as his eyes slid closed.

Akane's eyes snapped open as Ranma's hand went limp in hers. "Ranma? Ranma! No... Please... PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!" She cried out in anguish, collapsing on top of him, sobbing as the others burst into the room.

**-TBC-**

A/N- Heh, yeah, this version is definitly a lot better than my original! (at least, in my opinion). Anyway, please leave a review!


	2. Chapter 2 Never Give Up!

Disclaimer: Sorry guys, but I still don't own Ranma.

Now then, sally forth my gentle readers!

**Chapter 2,  
Never Give Up!**

Warmth, this was the first thing that Ranma noticed when conciousness finally returned to him. A gentle warmth was awash his entire body, and he was laying down upon something soft, softer than even his bed at the Tendo's place. _"Wh-What's goin' on here?"_ Ranma wondered to himself as his eyes slowly fluttered open, and the young teen was forced to blink a few times as he was temporarily blinded by a bright light. Sitting up from where he'd been laying, Ranma rubbed his eyes as he groaned and shook his head, trying to adjust to the light. Slowly, he lowered his hands, and was greeted with a breath-taking sight. The young martial artist was sitting in a field of perfectly white flowers, which seemed to stretch on endlessly in every direction he looked. The effect was magnified by the brilliantly glowing sun, which seemed to cause the flowers to glow softly under its light.

Scratching his head, Ranma looked around, trying to find something, anything, other than the flowers. "Oh man, where am I?" He asked himself, standing up. "Let's see... The last thing I remember was savin' Akane and gettin' hurt really bad, then Doc Tofu and some others tryin' ta save me, but one of them sayin' it'd be a miracle if I lived... L'see, then I asked for Akane, and when she came, I told her that I'd fallen for her, and woulda been proud ta have been able ta call her my wife, an' her sayin' that I was gonna get better, then we were gonna live happily ever after before..." He looked around again at the surrealy perfect landscape. "...Before I ended up here..." He looked down at himself, his perfectly healed body, clenching his fists.

"That's right boy, yer' in the afterlife now."

The gravelly voice surprized the teen, causing Ranma to whirl around and instantly sliding into a defensive stance, having been attacked enough that it was purely reflexive by now. Almost immediatly, he spotted two people, standing just a few dozen feet away from him. One was a gruff looking older man, possibly in his late seventies, with a severe-looking scowl marring his face. He was completely bald on top, though had a long, flowing beard that stretched down over his chest, and was wearing a brown gi. Standing just to the man's left was possibly one of the most beautiful women that Ranma had ever seen, her shining brown hair cut in an oddly familiar style that Ranma couldn't quite place, and her beauty was only enhanced by the kimono that she was wearing. Both of the people had a very familiar air about them, though it was escaping Ranma at the moment. "Ok, just who are ya, and where'd the two of ya come from?" Ranma asked, confused.

A tic mark appeared on the old man's head, and he puffed up before he disappeared._ "What th-"_ Ranma's thoughts didn't even have time to finish forming before the oled man appeared inside of his guard, bopping Ranma's head with one curled up fist._ "Damn, he's fast!"_ Ranma thought as he fell down on his rear, clutching at his sore head. "Whadda have ta go and do that for ya old geezer?!" Ranma complained, rubbing where the old man had bopped him.

The old man puffed up again. "You dare talk to your own grandfather that way?! Why, your no better than that lazy good-for nothing son of mine!" The old man griped, rolling back his left sleeve so that he could bop Ranma again.

Before he could strike though, a calming hand was placed on his shoulder, and the woman stepped beside him, hushing the old man before he could protest. "Now now, is that any way to treat your own grandson?" She gently scolded, causing the old man to harrumph, but stand down irregardless.

"Um, I hate ta be rude, but just who are you people?" Ranma asked, taking this chance to climb back to his feet.

The woman turned to Ranma, a brilliant smile gracing her lips. "My name is Kimiko- Tendo Kimiko. It's a pleasure to meet you, young Ranma." She said, bowing slightly, her smile growing even more as Ranma politely returned the bow.

The old man took his que and spoke up next. "As for me, I'm Saotome Genryu, your grandfather." He said, crossing his arms over his chest, giving the classic Saotome smirk.

The realization hit Ranma as to why these two seemed so familiar to him. "So that's why you-" He pointed at Kimiko, "-and you-" He then pointed at Genryu, "-look so much like Akane and Pops!" He finished, images of both Akane and Genma appearing in the young martial artist's head as Kimiko smiled again and Genryu nodded his head. "Awww man..." Ranma groaned, plopping down among the flowers. "If you guys are here with me, then that means I didn't survive, and this is Heaven..." He sighed morosely. "Well... I guess that means I won't be seein' Akane for a long time..." He murmured quietly, saddened. "Well... at least I got to tell her how I felt before I died, and I won't be facin' all of the others over it!" He exclaimed, perking up slightly as he tried to see the lighter side of things.

"Wrong!" Genryu exclaimed, using that instant to smack Ranma across his head again.

"QUIT DOIN' THAT YA OLD FOOL!" Ranma complained, grabbing his throbbing head once again.

Kimiko, giggling at their antics, decided to intervene, placing her hand on Genryu's arm before things could escalate. "No Ranma, you are not dead- just in a coma right now." She clarified. "Just think of this as a small visit that we're paying you. We've been watching over you and the others for some time now, and we figured that this would be the perfect chance for us to help, before things could get any worse than they have. The way things have been going, if they stay on their present course, then your lives will spiral out of control, and no one will be able to find true happiness. Everything hinges upon you, young Ranma, to set everything right, and we are here to help you straighten things out." She said, her soft, yet firm nature definitly reminding Ranma of all three of the Tendo sisters.

Hearing that, Ranma perked up considerably. "Ya can really help me out with all of this mess?" He asked happily, motioning for Kimiko and Genryu to sit.

Kimiko nodded as she gracefully sunk down among the flowers, which seemed to dull when compared to her. "Yes." She replied. "The first, and most imporant thing, is to take care of all of this silly fiancee business, and cut it off before things can grow any worse." She went on. "You need to clear everything up with that chef and the Amazons. Though Soun and you're father have pushed you and Akane into the engagement way too soon, it's obvious to every one who bothers to look that the two of you have strong feelings for each other. Those who don't want the two of you together will constantly get in the way and try to crush those feelings. Now I don't see those odd Kunos as any obstacle at all, but Ukyo and Shampoo are serious concerns, and they need to be addressed as such." Kimiko continued. "I have taken the liberty of checking, and your father does not seem to have set you up for any other surprize major engagements, aside from the Kuonji girl, but after having given it extensive thought, I do believe that I have come up with a rather simple, yet elegant solution." She said.

Ranma was ecstatic, there was a way to satisy his honor in this mess without hurting anyone else's honor! "How's that?" He asked eagerly, practically twitching in his seat.

Kimiko smiled at the young man's excitement. "Why, you simply adopt her into the Saotome clan." She clarafied.

Ranma's eyes widened considerably- Could it really be that simple?! "And how can I smooth things over with the Amazons?" He asked.

Genryu smirked. "Weeell..." He drawled out, scratching his bearded chin. "That kiss of marrige is a major hurdle, but luckily for you, I happen to be good friends of the Amazons who have passed into the afterlife up here, and I brought this problem to 'em. Normally, the fact that she had already given you the kiss of death would have automatically annulled any kisses that she gave you afterwards, but apparently, she was supposed to give you the kiss of marrige since you had defeated her in combat, and you are really a guy, even though you were transformed at the time, and the kiss of death can only be given to someone of the same sex. However, after several long talks with the Amazons up here, and several promises made, they have agreed to send a message to their decendants, warning them to break off the kiss contracts with Ranma. However, in return, you must swear your allegiance to the Amazon tribe, and go to their aid whenever they need you." He explained.

Ranma was now grinning from ear to ear. That was it?! All he had to do was have Ukyo adopted and agree to be an ally to the Amazons?! Heck, that was easy! "WHOO HOO! I"M FINALLY FREE OF 'EM!" Ranma yelled, pumping his fist into the air as he jumped up, causing Kimiko to laugh gaily.

"Sit down boy, we're not finished yet!" Genryu said firmly, causing Ranma to sit back down. "Now we need to clear up another mess that my idiot of a son made." He continued, clearing his throat. "When you were hardly more than a toddler, you're father took you from you're mother. Before he did that though, he signed a contract that said if he didn't make you a man amoung men, then you and he would both have to commit ritual seppiku, and he made you put you're handprint on it to show that you would agree to this as well. Now with that curse of yours, that does present a bit of a problem, as you can understand. If I remember your mother to be the sweet, caring woman that she was though, then if you go and tell her what happened, and show her that even as a woman that you're still a man at heart, and can live up to the pledge, I am certain that she'll understand." He finished.

Kimiko nodded in agreement. "Yes, Nodoka struck me as quite a sensable woman when I met her at her wedding." She said, throwing her own bit into the conversation.

Ranma froze up, clenching his fists. "No-Nodoka... My mother? I... I don't have any memories of her..." He said quietly, his teeth grit together. "Pops.... He told me she was gone..."

Kimiko sighed, shaking her head. "Genryu, please forgive me for speaking ill of your own blood, but your son's idiocy astounds me at times." She griped. Turing away from those negative thoughts, she graced Ranma with another of those brilliant smiles. "Well then, you'll need to go create some happy memories with her as soon as you can, right? After all no child should ever grow up without know the love of their parents. I am sure she will be overjoyed to see you again."

Ranma couldn't help but smile as well. "Yeah, I'll definitly make sure to." He replied with an affirmed nod.

Genryu cleared his throat, turning to Kimiko. Mrs. Tendo, I need to be alone with the boy here for a bit, for what I have to teach him can only be passed down through the Saotome clan, from one member to another, as it involves our clan's martial arts style. I really hat ta ask this, but can you give us some time to ourselves? I must teach him of his birthright, the Saotome style of the Iron Dragon Fist, which his father so foolishy tossed aside in favor of that evil gnome Happosai's Anything Goes style." He said, crossing his arms.

"Alright Genryu." Kimko aknowlaged with a nod of her head, taking one of Ranma's hands as she stood up, prompting the teen to stand up as well. "Ranma, it was very nice to meet you at last." She said with a smile, placing one hand on his cheek.

"Y-Yeah, th' pleasure was all mine." Ranma mumbled, feeling his face flush slightly.

Kimiko laughed. "Now now, there is no reason to be embarassed, young man." She playfully scolded. "I hope that everything turns out well for you and Akane. Take care, and tell everyone that I send my love, alright? Also, could you tell Soun that he needs to get on with his life? I know he loves me, and Kami knows that I love him as well, but I'm dead, and nothing can change that. Another thing, you need to stop treating Akane like she's glass, she's a young woman and can take fare of herself after all!" The went on. "Finally, I don't want to see you or any of my little girls up here for quite a long time, and not until after you and Akane have given me lots and lots of grandbabies!" She continued, a gleam in her eyes.

That caused Ranma to freeze up, his eyes widening at the prospect of children. "Wh-Wh-Wh-" Was all he could manage to sputter, his mind threatening to shut down.

Kimiko couldn't help but laugh, having had her fun. "It really was a pleasure to meet you, future son-in-law." She said with a giggle, reaching up to plant a kiss on Ranma's cheek before fading away as Ranma stood there, touching where Kimiko had kissed, dumbfounded.

Genryu cleared his throat, catching Ranma's attention. "Listen boy-" He started. "-I am going to teach you all that I can, but unfortunatly, we don't have enough time for me to teach you everything, and since you are not in your physical body right now, you'll have to go through all the motions several times when you are able to after you go back- There is only so much that the mind can learn after all- the rest is all about muscle memory. Though, I will tell you about where you can find the scrolls that explain the techniques and the concept behind our school, the art of the Iron Dragon Fist. First, however, I need to test you to see just how good of a martial artist you are, so-"

"I'm sorry, but I'm no good as a martial artist anymore. Not since the old pervert hit me with that ultimate weakness moxibustion." Ranma interuppted, his voice pained, shamed that he would not be able to learn his family's style due to what had happened.

Genryu bellowed laughter. "You're not that dense, are ya m'boy? I just told ya, your not in your physical body right now, you're just a spirit, so there is nothing wrong with you right now, not even your curse! And, even if you never find a cure for that moxibusion point, the only thing it did was seal away your current strength. You can always train yourself back up to that current strength and hardiness once again, provided that you are determined enough! Now come, and show me if you're worthy of the Saotome legacy!" He exlaimed, taking up a fighting stance.

Ranma, feeling the first pangs of hope, couldn't help but smile, he could become a martial artist again! "Alright then old man, yer on!" The teen exclaimed, taking a stance as well, and the two lept at one another, their kicks meeting in mid-air.

-Nerima Central Hospital-

Akane sat dilligently by Ranma's side, reading a book that lay in her lap as she held his one good hand in hers, listening to the constant, steady beeping of the surrounding moniters, showing that Ranma was still alive, hanging on, despite the fact that he'd spent the last three days in a coma. Akane spared a glance over at the cursed teen's sleeping face. _"Ranma... why did you save me the other day? If you hadn't have gotten between me and the ground, then you wouldn't be here right now, in a coma... did you really mean it when you said that you... you had fallen for me, and would really have been proud to call me your wife?"_ A pair of tears welled up in her eyes, unnoticed as one slipped down over her left cheek. "Ranma... Please, come back to me..." She whispered, her voice choked.

Ryoga, looking for the Tendo house, where he thought Akane would be, opened up a door, where he found Akane crying over Ranma's still form. "Akane?" He asked softly, walking up behind her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

Akane looked up at Ryoga, more tears forming, then running down over her face. "Oh Ryoga! Why did Ranma have to do that? He's hurt now because of me!" she sobbed, clutching at the eternally lost boy.

"Akane..." Ryoga sighed, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, looking past her at Ranma. _"Would you stay by my side and cry over me if I hurt myself to save you Akane?"_ He wondered as he let her cry into his stomach, dampening his shirt with her tears.

Tofu opened the door to Ranma's room, a cup of nice, cool water in his right hand that he had been drinking, and a bucket of soapy warm water and a sponge to bathe Ranma with in his left. Tofu was one of the strongest martial artists around, despite the air that he gave off, and had greater balance than any gymnist, yet sometimes, even the greatest of those can be caught unawares, and not even the good doctor was infallible, as was proven when, by a chance of fate, he tripped on a chord, and before he could regain his balance, had carelessly tossed his cup in an attempt to reach out for something to grab onto, and the cup, as if guided by an unseen hand intent on mischief, flew over Akane and Ryoga, choosing that instant to turn in the air, spilling water all over them. "Ah! Sorry!" Tofu exlaimed, wipping a towel off of his shoulder to hand to Akane and the now little black pot-bellied pig she was holding in her hands.

Akane, for her part, didn't hear Tofu as she stared down in disbelief at the now scared-looking piglet she held in her hands. "Wha-WHAT?! YOUR P-CHAN RYOGA?!" Akane screamed as she started squeezing the poor little piggy harder and harder as she stood up, her anger growing more and more potent, manifesting itself as a dark-red aura around her.

Dr. Tofu looked over Akane's shoulder in interest, ready to intervene in case things got really bad, but he personally felt that the young man deserved this, if he had indeed been decieving Akane. "Oh my, you better be careful Akane, or you might kill the poor guy." Tofu said, pouring a bit of hot water on Ryoga, causing the boy, who now had Akane's hands wrapped around his throat, throttling him, to change back into his normal form, now nude, as his clothes had fallen to the floor when he'd been transformed in the first place.

A righteous fire seemed to spark in Akane's eyes as her grip tightened even more. "YOU PERVERT! TO THINK OF ALL THE TIMES YOU WATCHED ME CHANGE! SLEPT IN MY BED WITH ME! AND EVERYTHING ELSE, DISGUISED AS MY PET PIG?! THATS IT, YOU- YOU- YOU PORCINE PERVERT! HAM HENTAI! I'M GONNA TURN YOU INTO BACON BITS! She screamed, shaking the now nearly unconcious Ryoga back and forth.

"Akane, you need to stop before you hurt him!" Tofu exlaimed, growing a bit worried when Ryoga started to preform a plausible imitation of a prune's color, pulling the kicking, screaming girl off of the poor boy.

Ryoga, finally catching his breath. could only look on in horror as his heart shattered because of what happened as Akane cursed him. Without even speaking, tears welling up in his eyes, Ryoga gathered his belongings and ran out of the room, leaving the door open behind him.

"THAT'S RIGHT! GO THE HELL ON BEFORE I DECIDE THAT I WANT PORKCHOPS FOR DINNER!" Akane screamed, throwing the bucket of water after the fleeing Ryoga. "How dare he?!" She fumed, storming back in and sitting down in her seat beside Ranma's bed.

Tofu removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Who knows..." He muttered helplessly as he went over to check on Ranma. "Akane, if there are any changes, come get me immidatly, I've got some things I need to check up on." He said, going over to the door.

"Yes Doctor." Akane affirmed, nodding her head as she started to stroke Ranma's cheek with one hand and once again clasping his with the other as everything that had just happened ran through her mind, unsure of what to do.

**End Ch.2**

A/N: Well, how was it? Please tell me in a review!


	3. Chapter 3 Of Fanatics and Fiancees

Disclaimer- Hmmm... Y'know, I didn't own Ranma yesterday, and I'm pretty sure I don't own it today either. *shrugs* Oh well.

Y'know, it's hard to find the proper mood music for a story like this. Anyone got any suggestions?

**Chapter 3,  
****Of Fanatics and Fiancees**

Dusk had settled over Nerima, casting the world into shadow, even as the street-lights began to flicker on, illuminating the city streets, casting their artificial glow over Ryoga, who was trudging along despondantly, his eyes downcast as what had happened earlier continued to play through his mind over and over, worse than any horror movie. How could this have happened? Was it not enough that he was cursed with a horrible sense of direction, or that he became a little piglet whenever he was splashed with cold water? Surely it was the worst form of luck imaginable, to have been splashed in front of Akane like that, revealing to her that Ryoga was none other than her beloved pet piggy, P-chan. Stopping, Ryoga looked up into the darkening sky._ "My sweet Akane, I hope that one day, you can find it in your heart to forgive me..."_ He thought to himself. Before he could continue on his journy however, Ryoga sensed a familiar presence, coming up from behind. "I'm not in the mood." He snapped, his temper short.

The familiar, tall robed figure of Tatawaki Kuno stepped from the nearby shadows of a building, levelling his bokken at Ryoga's back, his eyes burning with a righteous fury. "Foul cretin! In my attempts to find the fair Akane, I went to the hospital, where I was told she was, only to be stopped by the good Doctor Tofu, who informed me that she would not be taking any visitors, because she had discovered something earlier that caused her a great distress! A distress caused by you!" He accused, pointing at Ryoga.

Ryoga turned to Kuno, his eyes downcast. "Yeah... It's my fault that she's sad right now..." He agreed, his depression growing.

Kuno tightened his grip on his wooden sword. "Then, in the name of all that is good, I, Tataewaki Kuno. shall bring you to justice! I ATTACK!" He roared as he lunged forward, swinging his sword sideways.

"What the hell are you doin'?!" Ryoga asked, leaping over the attack even as he drew his umbrella, his eyes widening in shock as he watched slash marks appear on the walls of the buildings on either side of the street, and a pair of lightpoles fell over, severed cleanly in two at the same hight that Kuno had slashed at. "Whadda ya tryin' ta do, kill me?!" Ryoga griped, twirling his umbrella around in front of himself in a guard position.

Kuno looked up at Ryoga. "You dare to try and run you coward?! Come back here and face my blade, which shall deliver your punishment!" He yelled, leaping up after the ascending teen as he readied his blade, swinging at Ryoga when he got close enough.

That managed to anger Ryoga, who blocked the attack with his umbrella, stopping it cold. "Who're you callin' a coward?!" He asked, a tic mark appearing as he lashed out at Kuno with a kick, only to have Kuno block with his bokken. Ryoga used his momentum to push away from Kuno and flipped backwards, landing against the side of a nearby building which he used as a springboard to launch himself back towards the Kendoist, who landed on the ground and readied himself for the attack.

As Ryoga approached, Kuno couldn't help but smirk. "NOW I STRIKE!" He declared, lashing out at the still air-borne Ryoga, who only barely managed to block, his eyes widening at the power behind the older teen's attack. "STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE!" Kuno yelled, slashing rapidly at Ryoga, who was hard-pressed under the assault, the hits strong enough to keep him in the air as they began to tear small pieces out of his umbrella.

_"Damn, what am I gonna do?! He's got me at a disadvantage!"_ Ryoga thought desperatly, coming into contact with a wall that was behind him. _"That's it!"_ He thought, his eyes widening in realization. "Let's see how ya like this one Kuno! BAKUSAI TENKETSU!" He exlaimed, thrusting his free hand backwards, his index and middle fingers extended, blasting a hole through the wall behind him, showering Kuno with rocks, only for the kendoist to easily parry all of the debries with several slashes of his bokken.

Leaping back after knocking the last of the stones out of the air, Kuno once again took up a stance. "If that is the best you have, then you stand no chance against me, for I have the power of justice on my side!" He declared. "Now, give up, and tell me what you did to poor Akane!" He ordered, ready to attack again if it was so needed.

Ryoga's shoulders slumped as thoughts of Akane flooded through his mind once again. "I..." He started, looking away. "I'd been keeping a secret from Akane... A big one... And when she found out, it made Akane angry, and now she hates me, and basically told me that she never wanted to see me again..." He said sadly.

Kuno straightened up, feeling for the young martial artist before him. "Well then, if that is the case, I can forgive you this once, since you did not seek to intentionally hurt the fair Akane. However, as long as you held such a secret from her, you could have never truely won her love. No man, if he is good, should keep such secrets from the one for whom he has given his heart to." He said, resting his bokken against his shoulder.

Ryoga felt his anger build. "Who are you to talk?!" He snarled, baring his fangs. "You arn't cursed to become a piglet! You don't know how it feels to love a woman, yet the only time she loves you back is when you are her beloved pet 'P-chan'! You don't know what it's like to see hatred in that woman's eyes when she finds out that her little piggy is in fact a guy who is cursed to turn into that same pig! So don't you get all high and mighty on me you bastard!" He continued to rant.

Kuno was taken aback by Ryoga's outburst, his eyes widening in shock. "You mean to tell me that you are, in truth, Akane's beloved pet? What madness are you speaking?!" He narrowed his eyes as he slid his bokken off of his shoulder, readying it. "Are you some foul sorcerer, like that black knave Saotome?" He asked, his voice dangerous.

"Silly stick boy, Ryoga no sorcerer! He have bad curse that turn him into cute little black pig!"

The sweet, melodic voice caught both boys off guard, causing them to whirl around, where they found none other than Shampoo, standing in the gaping hole in the side of the building that Ryoga had hit earlier, her hands on her hips as she looked at them. "Look at big mess you two make! You pay to fix hole, yes?" She scolded, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at the pair.

"Wait!" Kuno interrupted, blinking in confusion a couple of times as he lowered his bokken. "What is this foul curse that both you and the barbarian Hibiki speak of, oh firey Amazoness Shampoo? And what are you doing here?" He asked.

Shampoo giggled. "You two fighting in front of Cat Cafe, silly stick boy!" She replied. "And is terrible, terrible curse that we have. It come from magical spring of Jusenkyo, which curse whoever fall into it's waters to turn into whatever drown there." She explained, using her broken Japanese.

Kuno sheathed his bokken, his interest piqued by what Shampoo just told him. "Really? Such things as these curses really exist? Would you mind explaining them in more depth, or possibly showing them to me?" He asked, intrigued.

Shampoo nodded her head. "Sure, Shampoo tell you more about it. Ryoga help?" She asked, looking to the cursed boy.

Ryoga shook his head mournfully. "Sorry Shampoo, but I'm afraid that I've got too much on my mind right now. I'll see you guys some other time." Ryoga said dejectedly, walking away from them towards the edge of town, not even sparing a single glance back as he left the place where he didn't know when, or even if he would ever return.

"Aiyaa, what wrong with Ryoga? He seem really sad! Everything ok?" Shampoo asked, watching Ryoga disappear into the darkness.

Kuno nodded gravely, crossing his arms, staring into the distance. "The worst thing that could happen to any man happened to him earlier." He replied. "Dearest Akane found out about Hibiki's cursed form, which he had apparently been using as a disguse to get closer to her as her pet pig, 'P-chan'. A most dishonorable and cowardly tactic, to be sure, but I find myself pitying him all the same, having earned the fair Akane's wrath. For surely there can be no more a terrible fate than to know that the one you love detestes you." He said.

Shampoo spared a glance at the kendoist, shaking her head. "You no know when to be quiet, yes?" She asked. "That too, too bad though, I see this coming long time ago, knowing this someday happen, and Akane find out about Ryoga curse. It only matter of time" The purple-haired Amazon commented.

"Ah yes, about the curses." Kuno spoke up, his interest pulled back to that subject. "Could you possibly tell me more about them? Or demonstrate them, if you have the ability on hand?" He asked, somewhat facinated that things such as curses could actually exist.

Shampoo nodded, motioning for Kuno to follow her through the hole in the wall that Ryoga had made earlier. "Yes, I show you. I go get Mousse to use as example, and we explain everything. You sit down right there." She said as they entered the building, pointing at a near-by table before going towards Mousse's room to fetch him.

Kuno nodded his thanks, taking a seat. _"Hmmm... This is most interesting indeed... I wonder if I could use the power of these curses to fight that vile sorcerer, Saotome..."_ He mused to himself, already making several plots in his head, all in which using whatever magic triggered these curses to curse, and ultimitly defeat, the one he acknowledged as his premiere rival, and the greatest obstacle for winning the affections of the beautious Akane Tendo and the fiery tree-borne kettle girl, Saotome Ranma.

-Nermia Centeral Hospital, a few hours later-

Akane yawned and stretched, checking her watched after she was done._ "Oh man! It's almost midnight?! Where'd the time go?"_ She wondered to herself, blinking in surprize at the late hour. Deciding that it was about time to go home, Akane went over to the sink that was in the room, wetting a cloth and taking it over to where Ranma was, gently patting at his brow with it. "You baka, what am I gonna do with you? You need to come back." She said to him with a fond smile. Watching him as he slept, Akane set the cloth aside before her hand strayed back to Ranma's face, her fingers stroking along those familiar contours, eventually resting on his slightly parted lips. _"Oh my."_ Akane thought to herself, feeling uncharacteristically hot as she began to lean forwared, coming closer and closer to his mouth, tucking her hair behind her left ear as she closed her eyes and puckered her lips, her face a scant inch from his...

A sudden knock on the door, seeming infinitly loud in the silence of the room, startled Akane so badly that she fell back with a squeak, landing on her rear. _"Ohmigosh! What was I about to do?!"_ Akane thought in a near-panic, her face bright red. She'd almost kissed Ranma! "Wh-Who is it?" She called out, rising unsteadily to her feet.

"It is I, Tataewaki Kuno!" Called out the familiar voice of the kendoist from the other side before the door slid open, and he strode purposefully into the room, a container under each arm and his bokken slung over his back. "My dearset Akane, please forgive this intrusion, as I know you are not in the best of moods at the moment, but I have recently been informed of something... Something horrid, and I must see for myself if it is true or not." He said, setting the containers on one of the tables next to Ranma's bed and unscrewing their lids, one of the containers beginning to emit a small amount of steam.

A small amount of worry began to worm it's way into Akane's gut when she saw the steam. "Kuno, what are those?" She asked, attempting to look around him into the containers.

Kuno looked back towards Akane briefly. "They are water containers." He simply replied, pulling a small cup from his robes and dipping it into the container that was not steaming. Placing one hand on Ranma's shoulder, Kuno took a deep breath as he steeled himself.

"Kuno! Don't do it! We don't know what it'll do to his wounds if Ranma transforms!" Akane panicked, grabbing Kuno's arm.

"I must know!" Kuno snapped, a fire in his eyes as he used his elbow to push Akane back. lifting the cup, he poured it over the comatose Ranma's head, watching with a growing dispair as the black-haired teen shrunk in size, changing almost instantaneously into the red-headed girl that Kuno had given his heart to. "No... It cannot be..." He said, his voice no more than a horrified whisper. "Why...?" Unable to bring his eyes, Kuno dipped the cup into the warm water and splashed Ranma again, watching as she turned back into a guy. Splashing Ranma a few more times with the alternating temperatures of water. "How can it be?" He questioned, sinking to his knees beside Ranma's bed, bowing his head as his shoulders began to shake.

"Kuno?" Akane asked uncertainly, approaching the older teen and placing her hand on his shoulder.

Kuno looked up at Akane, tears glistening in his eyes, showing her that his heart was breaking in two. "Sweet Akane, did you know of this?" He managed to choke out.

Akane couldn't help but feel her heart go out to Kuno. "Yeah..." She said quietly. "We've tried to tell you several times that the girl you had fallen for was actually Ranma," She told him.

Kuno slowly stood up, looking down at Ranma's still form, gently pushing Akane back with one hand, while reaching for his bokken with the other. "It is clear now, what I must do." He said, his voice cracking a bit as he withdrew his wooden sword. "I must kill him, for surely he is a hell-spawned abomonation, sent to bewitch us all!" He yelled, lifting his bokken over his head.

I won't let you touch him!" Akane screamed, leaping forward as her mallet manifested in her hands, swinging forward with all of her might and connecting solidly with Kuno, sending the kendoist crashing through a nearby wall. Walking foward, she towered over Kuno's fallen form, trembling in a cold fury. "What gives you the right to think you can kill him?!" She hissed through clenched teeth.

Kuno pulled himself from the rubble, seemingly unhurt. "It is obvious that he has you under his thrall, but fear not, I shall slay the demon, and free you from his accursed spell." He avowed, brushing himself off. "However, if I must defeat you in order to get to him, I shall, though it will pain me to harm you." He went on, levelling his weapon at Akane.

Before either could move forward, however, the wall to Kuno's left crumbled inwards, revealing a seething Shampoo, murder burning in her eyes as she hefted her bonborri. Without a word, she rushed forward, swinging one of her bonborri in a vicious underswing, catching Kuno's chin with an uppercut that sent him flying upwards through the ceiling and the one after it, into the night sky above. "STUPID STICK BOY NO HURT ARIEN! SHAMPOO KILL!" THe purple-headed amazon screamed, leaping up through the gaping hole after Kuno, followed by Akane.

The two girls landed on the roof, looking around for their quarry, finally spotting him, standing proudly atop a water tower, holding his bokken before him. "I am sorry, but I cannot allow you to stop me. The demon must die!" He declared, leaping off the tower, heading towards the duo. Bringing his bokken in a downward slash, Kuno split a huge tear through the hospital roof that reached all the way to the edge as Akane and Shampoo leapt to either side, evading his attack as they circled to either side.

However, Kuno wasn't to be caught off guard again as he leapt, faster than either girl had ever seen him move before, towards Shampoo, lashing out at her with a jab that she barely managed to avoid, finding herself suddenly hard-pressed into defence as Kuno unleashed a barrage of stabs and slashes, keeping her off balance. Without warning, he suddenly shifted his stance and slashed upwards, blowing Shampoos guard wide open before spinning around and delivering a harsh mule-kick to her midsection, sending her against the water tower with a bone-jarring crash, causing the girl to slide down with a groan, dropping one of her bonborri to the ground.

One opponent down, Kuno turned his attention to Akane, bringing his bokken up in time to stop a downward smash of her mallet. "Dearest Akane, please do not fight me, it is pointless." He begged, pushing her away with seemingly no effort as the head of her mallet fell to the ground cleanly severed.

Akane snarled, tossing her now-useless weapon away as she took up the classic stance of the Anything Goes Tendo style. "I won't let you hurt Ranma! You'll have to go through me before I let you anywhere near him!" She snapped, rushing forward and lashing out with a snap-kick that Kuno blocked with his blade, sliding back a few feet with the force of the blow.

Kuno's eyes widened slightly at the pressure behind the blow, deciding to dodge Akane's next attack rather than block. "You are indeed skilled Akane, but surely you realize that you don't stand a chance?" He asked, circling the youngest Tendo, who responded in kind.

"You honestly think that I'm going to let you kill Ranma?" Akane asked, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

Before Kuno could answer, Shampoo appeared behind him, swinging her bonborri at him from both sides, intending on crushing the kendoist between them. "SHAMPOO KILL OBSTACLE!" She screamed in anger, only for Kuno to block her assault with two quick swings of his weapon, then roll out of the way as Akane landed where he'd been standing, collapsing that section of the roof with her kick.

"Damn, I can't find any holes in his guard!" Akane cursed, sliding back into her stance beside Shampoo.

Kuno smirked as he hefted his wooden blade. "You will find, sweet Akane, that I am a rather puissant foe when pressed. Few can match me." He said, twirling his weapon before melding into a kendo stance.

"That may be, but it doesn't seem to have helped you against me."

The unseen voice startled Kuno, who started to turn, only to have several points on the back off his neck pressed, and he began to fall bonelessly to the ground, his eyes rolling up in his head, clearly unconcious. Before he could hit the ground though, the figure that had been standing behind him caught theyoung kendoist and hoisted him up onto his shoulder, revealing himself to be none other than Dr. Tofu. "I swear, you guys made quite the mess." He said with a chuckle, looking around at the destroyed sections of roof.

Caught off-guard by the suddenly abrupt ending to the battle, Akane lowered her stance, blinking a few times. "Doctor Tofu? When did you get here?" She asked, confused.

Tofu scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I was here the whole time actually. I was just waiting for the right time to step in." He admitted.

Akane nodded, though still unsure, but Shampoo decideed to take this time to voice her own opinions. "Stick boy unconcious! We kill him now so he no hurt Arien!" She demanded starting forward as she hefted her bonborri.

Before either girl could so much as blink, Tofu appeared behind the young amazon, pressing several points on the back of her neck, knocking her out the same way he had Kuno. "Damn, these two are too dangerous by far!" He declared, looking down at Shampoo's unconcious form. "Akane, would you mind giving me a hand? Or are you going to be a problem as well?" The bespectacled doctor asked, looking over at Akane, an unmistakable steel in his voice, telling her what would happen if she chose the latter.

Akane shook her head, too tired to fight in any case. "No, Doctor Tofu." She replied, going over to where he was and picking Shampoo up, slinging the girl over her shoulder.

Tofu shot Akane a smile. "That's good!" He said happily as they walked towards the door that led back into the building, their unconcious cargo in tow. After getting the two set up in seperate rooms, Akane and Tofu went back to Ranma's room, where the steady beep of the monitors said that he was still alive. Going over to Ranma's bedside, Tofu gave the boy an examination, making sure that he hadn't been hurt. "Well, looks like he's ok." He said, earning a sigh of relief from Akane. "Please take care of him, alright Akane? I'm almost done with my research." Tofu said as he headed for the door. "I'll send a crew up promptly to clean up the mess and get those holes repaired." He promised, sliding the door open.

"Yes doctor." Akane said, nodding her head firmly, earning one last smile from Tofu before he exited the room. Sitting down beside Ranma's bed, Akane took his hand in hers, looking down at his sleeping face, determined to stay by his side, no matter what. "Ranma, please come back." She whispered, laying her head down by his side, soon falling asleep.

-Meanwhile, in Heaven-

Ranma and Genryu disengaged from their latest sparring match, panting. "I've gotta say boy, your coming along nicely! I figured it'd take you twenty years of training before you could fight me for forty hours straight!" Genryu wheezed, a pleased grin plastered over his face.

Ranma, taking in great gulps of air, grinned back cockily, "Just goes ta show that ya shouldn't underestimate me old man!" He shot back.

Gneryu nodded, straightening up."Yes, you have learned far more than I expected. You shall do our family name proud, my grandson. Unfortunatly, our time is nearing it's end. It's almost time for you to go back." He replied, crossing his arms.

Ranma straightened as well, looking up into the clear blue sky. "Yeah..." He trailed off with a smile, thinking of Akane.

**End ch. 3**

Well? How was it? Almost twice as long as the original, with a lot more to the fights! R&R please!


	4. Chapter 4 Painful Truths

Disclaimer: Sorry guys, but I still don't own Ranma 1/2. And ya wanna know what? I'm glad I don't, because then I wouldn't be tempted to write this story!

**-Chapter 4,**  
**Painful Truths-**

Morning came, and slowly but surely, the rising sun broke the horizion, its brilliant rays washing over Tokyo, flooding the immediate world with it's light. Sunlight shone through a large bay window into one room in particular, creeping across the silent medical equipment that was scattered about before it's rays started to crawl across the lone bed in the room, which held a young and attractive lavender-haired girl, clutching a pillow tightly as she dreamed, sleep still cradling her in it's gentle embrace. Unknown to any, the room's door quietly slid open, letting in a familiar man dresed in a brown gi, with small glasses framing his face. As quickly and silently as a cat, the man stepped over to Shampoo's side, reaching down and pressing several points on her neck, then sitting in a near-by available chair, steepling his hands in front of his face as he waited for the pressure points to take effect.

Tofu didn't have long to wait either, as a few seconds later, Shampoo's eyes snapped open, darting around the room. "Arien!" She cried out, attempting to get up, only to find, to her growing horror, that her body refused to react to any of her mental commands. "What happen? Why can Shampoo no move?" She asked, her voice panicky.

Tofu leaned forward, his face an unreadable mask. #Do not worry Xian-Pu, you are perfectly fine. I simply believed it prudent to temporarily disable your ability to move, so that we could talk like the civilized people we are, without anything getting destroyed.# He said in perfect, if slightly accented, Mandarin Chinese.

Shampoo's eyes widened, staring at the doctor in disbelief. #Doctor Tofu! Since when could you speak our language?# She asked, quite clearly confused. He had never displayed this skill before, even when she'd been working for him!

Tofu let out a small smile for the first time. # Oh, I've known how to speak your language for quite some time Xian-Pu. I simply chose to use Japanese all this time to help you with your own Japanese conversational skills.# He admitted.

Shampoo disregarded the comment, choosing to give Tofu an acidic glare. #Why did you stop me from killing that idiot? He was trying to kill my husband, and, since my husband is currently disabled, it is my duty as his wife to kill any enemy that tries to harm us! Why would you interfere on his behalf? Are you working with him?# She demanded, dearly wishing that she could move, so that she could punish the insolent male for coming between her and her enemy. She'd put him in his place if she could only move!

Tofu sighed, rubbing his temples with the tips of his fingers, hoping to stave off the migrane that was threatening to blossom. #No, Xian-Pu, I was simply intervening before things got out of hand. If I hadn't have stopped Kuno, then he would have beaten both yourself and Akane, and had I not stopped you afterwards, you would have created an incident by killing Kuno, which would have had serious repercussions for us all. This isn't your Amazon village Xian-Pu, this is a ward of one of Japan's largest and most modern cities. You can't just go around killing every person that you think is a threat here.# he explained, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes. #So, would you mind explaining to me just what happened to have you at one another's throats, fighting to the death?# He asked, looking at Shampoo.

Shampoo averted her eyes, looking out the window. After a moment's thought, the young warrior began to speak.

-Flashback to the night before, at the Nekohaten-

After Shampoo had led Kuno into the resteurant, shortly after his fight with Ryoga, and appointed him a place to sit, she set about to prepare for the demonstrations that she knew the kendoist would require in order to believe what she told him. Humming lightly to herself, Shampoo set out a kettle to heat up on the stove while contemplating what she'd learned tonight. It was bad that the Tendo girl had discovered Ryoga's curse- That boy was Ranma's only major and regular competition for Akane's heart, and now that she knew of Ryoga's curse and was angry with him over pretending to be her pet, he was most definitly out of the running. Ceasing her humming, Shampoo sighed as she sucked her lip in frustration. She'd been making plans around that boy! Plans that would get that accursed Tendo girl out of her hair and into Ryoga's arms! The girl had already proven to be resistant to the formula 110 memory-erasing shampoo, so it wasn't exactly like Shampoo could use it to erase Akane's memory of discovering Ryoga's curse...

How the heck could she turn this to her advantage? Shampoo was almost ready to pull her hair in annoyance!

Looking back at the diner's room, where Kuno was, Shampoo briefly played with the thought of telling him about her Airen's curse, in the hopes that he would forget his infatuation for her Airen's cursed side and focous all of his time and attention on her rival, Akane, but Shampoo quickly shook those thoughts from her head. Knowing that poor, deluded fool, he'd either refuse to believe her, or worse, accept it as the truth, and in his anger and shame attempt to kill her Airen, and that wouldn't do at all now, would it?

Yes, that definitly wouldn't work.

Thusly decided, Shampoo turned from the stove and pulled aside one of the doors on the back wall, revealing a sleeping Mousse, laying peacefully on his bed, within his room which was sparesly larger than a closet, allowing him just enough room to lay down comfortably, as well as store whatever presonal items he had. Taking a glance aroung, Shampoo couldn't help but sigh in exasperation, seeing her looking back at herself, pictures of her papering his walls from top to bottom. "Again? how many times must I order Mousse to take down these pictures and keep them down?" The lavender-haired girl thought in annoyance.

How had Mousse managed to sleep through the racket outside anyway? That fight had been so loud it could wake the dead! Deciding that it ultimately wasn't important, Shampoo lightly kicked the slumbering amazon. "Mousse wake up now!" She ordered.

Shampoo couldn't help but blink in surprize as Mousse's eyes seemed to snap open, and in the next instant, he was standing before her, pulling on his shirt with one hand and adjusting his glasses with the other. "Shampoo? What is it? Is everything alright my beloved?" He asked rapidly.

Shampoo sighed and smacked Mousse over the back of his head. "No, nothing wrong stupid Mousse. Shampoo need help explaining Jusenkyo curses to stick boy Kuno, and want Mousse's help. You do it, yes?" She asked, looking at him expectantly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"For you, anything Shampoo!" Mousse replied enthusiastically, confused as to why Shampoo would be telling someone like Kuno about Jusenkyo, especially at this time of night., yet willing to help her with whatever she asked all the same. As he followed her out into the kitchen, Mousse's thoughts turned from why Shampoo would be talking to Kuno about the curses, to thinking of how he could possibly use this to his advantege. Oppertunities like this didn't fall into one's lap like this every day, or in this case night. after all!

Shampoo nodded, checking the water in the kettle, finding that it had warmed to a satisfactory temperature. "Good. Mousse carry hot and cold water then." She ordered, motioning to the kettle and another pitcher that she'd filled, as well as a cup.

Eagerly, Mousse gathered the items, then followed Shampoo into the main lobby, where Kuno was waiting patiently. "Kuno! Shampoo says that you wish to learn about the cursed springs of Jusenkyo?" Mouss asked, walking over to the table and placing the cold water pitcher and the still-warm kettle on it, then pulling one of the chairs out for Shampoo before sitting down himself, waiting until she, as his superior in the eyes of their tribe, had taken her own seat.

Kuno nodded his head towards Mousse. "Ahhh, it is good to see you Mousse. Have you managed to recover from our battle with that most foul sorcerer of black magics, Saotome?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine now." Mousse replied as he set the cup down and poured some cold water from the pitcher into it.

Kuno looked down at the cup. "Ah, a refreshment?" He asked, starting to reach for the cup, only for Shampoo to smack him on the hand.

"Is no for drinking! Is for showing curse." She explained, seeing the confused expression on Kuno's face as he withdrew his hand.

"What does water have to do with these curses of yours?" Kuno asked, cocking his head to one side as he stared at the two across from himself.

"May I, Shampoo?" Mousse asked, looking over to where she sat. Seeing Shampoo give her nod of assent, Mousse pushed his glasses up into a more comfortable position before speaking. "There is a small area of spring-fed pools, just a few miles from our village, in China." He started. "This spot is known as 'The Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo', due to the fact that in almost every one of those pools, something has drowned, and left an ever-lasting curse upon the spring in which it drowned, so that any who fall into that particular spring is forever cursed to transform into whatever drowned there. It is a very tragic site that has claimed many lives, and has ruined even more." He said, giving Kuno the short version. "There is a particular trigger that activates these curses, cold water, like I have sitting before me, and the only way to reverse it is to be doused in warm water." He went on.

Kuno blinked in surprize. Whatever he'd been expecting, it certainly wasn't that! "Would you terribly mind demonstrating for me?" He prompted.

"Of course." Mousse conceded, picking up the glass, then promptly pouring it over his head, instantly shrinking down inside of his robes, emerging a few seconds later, in his duck form, quacking as he hopped up onto the table.

Kuno's eyes nearly popped out of his head in shock. "Egads! What form of foul sorcery is this?" Kuno exlaimed, almost falling backwards in shock as he pulled his bokken, holding it before himself just in case.

Shampoo giggled at Kuno's antics. "Is no sorcery! Is curse! See, hot water turn Mousse back." She replied, pouring warm water from the kettle over Mousse, causing him to transform back into his human form, now naked and sitting on the table, trying to cover himself.

"Amazing! To find that such magic exists!" Kunto breathed, setting his weapon to the side.

Shampoo shook her head. "You no like it if you ever get curse like we have." She replied.

Kuno cocked his head to the side, reaching out and snagging the cold water pitcher. "So cold water turns you into your cursed animal form-" He started, pouring some over Mousse, earning an indignant quack from him as he transformed. "-And then warm water turns you back!" He exclaimed, watching in amazement as he poured the hot water over Mousse, causing the young man to transform back.

"Yeah, that's the way it goes." Mousse said, leaping away from Kuno before he could pour any more water on him, and began to gather his clothes to pull them back on.

Kuno stroked his chin, looking at the two of them thoughfully. "And you both have curses?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"That right." Shampoo replied with a nod.

A curious gleam appeared in Kuno's eye. "Then tell me, dearest Shampoo... What is your form?" He cried out, suddenly lunging forward, grabbing both the cold and hot water containers, only to be stopped as he was smashed in the face with a bonborri.

"Shampoo no stupid! Stick boy just want see Shampoo naked! Pervert!" She exlaimed, removing her bonborri from his face, causing Kuno to fall back into his seat with a groan.

Shaking his head to clear it, Kuno straightened back up. "So, good Mousse, is there any way for me to use this accursed water to help me defeat the vile sorcerer Soatome, and free my lovely Akane and the firey pig-tailed girl?" He asked, curious.

Mousse looked at Kuno, his face unreadable as his mind went into many calculations. "Well..." He started. "You could... If it wasn't for the fact that he already has a curse."

Kuno's eyesbrows raised at this. "Really?" He asked excitedly. "Tell me, what is it? Surely, if he is thusly cursed, he shall fall easily to me! What form of animal does he turn into?" He questioned.

Mousse's glasses flashed as he grinned ferally. "Ranma Saotome, our mutual enemy, fell into the spring of drowned girl while he was visiting our homeland. He is, in fact, the one you know as the 'firey pig-tailed girl'."

"Stupid Mousse shut mouth!" Shampoo yelled, though it was too late,

Kuno stood up abruptly, righteous anger burning in his eyes. "You lie! Never speak such slanders of my love again!" He snarled, slamming the palms of his hands on the table,

Mousse smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "If you don't believe me, go check for yourself. He's at Nerima's centeral hospital, with Akane." He shot back. Things were going to plan.

"Fine then, I shall! And when I show you the truth, you will apologize for your words or else!" Kuno roared, grabbing his bokken and dashing out the front door of the cafe.

Mousse's grin started to grow, but before he knew what was happening, he was smacked into a nearby wall, then lifted up roughly by the front of his shirt, finding himself face to face with Shampoo, who was radiating a cold fury, her gaze as hard and sharp as a drawn blade. #Mu-Tzu, you have commited a grave offense against my husband and myself. You will wait here, until I get back, when I will then punish you for your impudence.# She said levelly, slipping into their native tounge.

Mousse smiled grimly. #Do as you must, Xian-Pu, but you saw the look in his eyes. When Kuno finds out the truth for himself, he will likely try to kill Saotome, and then you will have no more reason to ignore me.# He replied.

Shampoo snarled, slamming Mousse up against the wall again. #I will kill anyone who tries to harm my husband, and no one will stop me!# She declared, throwing him into a nearby corner before heading towards the exit. Reaching the door, she slid it open, then stopped briefly. # And know this, Mu-Tzu. If my husband dies this night, I swear upon my honor as a warrior that you will not live to see tomorrow's sunrise.# She promised.

And then she was gone, chasing after Kuno.

-End flashback-

Dr. Tofu sat in silence as Shampoo finished her tale, stroking his chin thoughtfully. #I see...# He finally said after a moment's time. #Xian-Pu, I am going to release you from the paralasys point for now- but before I do, I must have your word of honor as a warrior that you will not seek out to harm or kill Kuno. I will deal with him myself.# He continued.

"Yes doctor, Shampoo promise." Shampoo replied, slipping back into Japanese.

With a smile, Tofu reached over, pressing a few points on Shampoo's shoulder. "There, that should do it!" He exclaimed, standing up. "Now, if you will please excuse me, I must go tend to the afore-mentioned kendoist." He said, slipping out through the door.

Shampoo watched the doctor depart, still holding onto the pillow as she sat up in bed. "Doctor Tofu, I promised you that I would not harm that idiot. However, I never said anything about not taking my husband. I shall deal with the Tendo girl, and slip away with my Ranma before any of you realize it, back to our home." She thought to herself, setting the pillow aside and getting out of the bed, heading purposefully towards the door.

* * *

At that very moment, the familiar-looking form of Ukyo, her large spatula strapped across her back and her bandolier full, stepped up to the front doors of the hospital, looking up purposefully as she reached back with her right hand and gripped the hilt of her large weapon. "Ranma... I can't wait any more. Today, I'll take you away from all of this madness, and we'll run away together and get married. Our life together away from all of this starts today!" She thought fiercely, the inner fire of determination burning in her eyes.

Jogging in through the sliding glass doors, Ukyo went up to the front desk, inquiring as to where Ranma's room was, and, after getting the information from the nurse, who was eying Ukyo's battle spatula with apprehension, set out for the elevators, punching the button for the floor that Ranma's room was on. Riding up, she felt the elevator come to a smooth halt. As the doors slid open, Ukyo started forth, only to come to a screeching halt as she saw who was walking by on the other side of the metal doors. "Excuse me!" She called out, stepping off the elevator. "Miss! I need to ask you something!" She continued.

Shampoo, who had been making her way towards Ranma's room, stopped when she heard the unfamiliar voice calling out to her. "Yes? Is Shampoo help you?" She asked, turning her head around to look at the other girl. "What you needing here?" She turned her body so that she was facing Ukyo fully.

Ukyo smiled, happy to find a friendly face. "Well-" she started. "-someone close to me, my fiance, was hurt recently, and apparently he was already moved from the ER into a private room, and so I was just wondering if you might know where I might be able to find him?" She asked.

Shampoo shook her head. "Shampoo can no tell, only here to visit Shampoo groom, who hurt. No know others." She replied with a shrug. "Sorry."

Ukyo waved it off. "Hey, don't worry sugar, I'll just get someone else to tell me where my Ranma-honey is." She said cheerfully.

Shampoo, who had turned around to continue, stopped dead in her tracks, twitching. "Is excuse me?" Ranma you say?" She asked in an even voice, turning back around with a dangerous smile forming and a cold look in her eyes.

"Um, yeah. What about it?" Ukyo asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Without warning, Shampoo's bonborri snapped into her hands as she took a fighting stance. " You no is have Ranma! Ranma Shampoo husband!" she snarled.

"What the Hell're you talkin' about you hussy?" Ukyo yelled as she quickly unsheathed her battle spatula. "I don't know what you're goin' on about, but Ranma-honey is MY fiance, you got that? And there isn't anybody, not you or that stupid hussy Akane that's gonna keep him from me!"

"Feh!" Shampoo spat. "Shampoo be beating you and kithcen destroyer girl!" She snarled.

Ukyo snorted in contempt, twirling her spatula into a more comfortable position, ready for battle. "You can try sugar, but you won't succeed." She replied, her tone icy.

Shampoo grinned ferally. "Then is no more need for words, yes? Only time now is for fighting!" She cried out, leaping forward, raising her maces above her head.

Ukyo nodded, her own grim smile appearing. "You got that right sugar!" she shot back, swinging her spatula around like a giant baseball bat, slamming it against Shampoo's bonborri, knocking the air-borne girl away. Wiht a fierce battle-cry, Ukyo charged after her, her spatula tearing a huge slash in the wall as she just barely missed Shampoo, who sprang away, clearing some space between them. Without a sound, Shampoo charged back in, getting inside of Ukyo's guard and swinging with one of her weapons, only to have Ukyo block and then leap back, narrowly avoiding Shampoo's follow-up kick.

"You not so bad." Shampoo declared. "Is honor to fight worthy opponent, but Ranma Shampoo's husband, and he come back to Amazon village, where we have big family. Is no other possible course for Shampoo." She declared firmly, settling into her stance again.

Ukyo grinned. "Yeah, under other circumstances, you and me coulda probably been friends, but Ranma, as well as my family honor, are too important for me to just give up on. Ranma will be mine!" She shot back, unleashing a barrage of shuriken spatula.

"Then best fighter take Ranma as prize!" Shampoo yelled, knocking the miniature spatula away before charging forward, bringing her weapons to bear. "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" She cried out, her bonborri becoming nothing more than a blur, and Ukyo found herself hard-pressed, barely able to withstand the onslaught from the other girl that was slipping around her guard, pounding her mercilessly.

Grunting in pain, Ukyo staggered back a few more feet before finally stopping, holding firm under Shampoo's assault. "THAT STILL AIN'T ENOUGH!" She screamed, swinging her battle spatula despite the hits she was taking, almost hitting Shampoo, whod nimbly dodged out of the way.

"You too slow Spatula Girl." Shampoo declared, twirling her bonborri, stopping right in front of Ranma's door. "You give up now, yes? You no can fight with hits Shampoo give you. Face it, you loose, Shampoo win, and now Ranma come with Shampoo." She taunted.

* * *

Akane sat by Ranma's side, her head nodding towards her chest, falling asleep, a text book sitting unopened in her lap. Something crashed, causing Akane to shoot up, her eyes wide open as she jumped up, looking around for any signs of a threat. What she wasn't expecting though, was for the door to the room to suddenly burst open, spilling a bitterly battling Ukyo and Shampoo into the room, the former pushing the latter backwards, an unmatched fury burning in her eyes. "YOU THINK I'M GONNA LET YOU HAVE MY RANMA-HONEY YOU AMAZON HUSSY? WELL YOU CAN FORGET IT!" Ukyo screamed angrily.

"YOU BECOMING OBSTACLE! AND OBSTACLES ARE FOR KILLING!" Shampoo screamed back as she glared at her foe murderously, though surprized at Ukyo's superior physical strength, Breaking away, Shampoo swung one of her bonborri at Ukyo's head, only to have her attack stopped in mid-swing as Akane grabbed it by the shaft just below the head.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Akane demanded, feeling her anger grow as she used her strength to snap the head off of Shampoo's bonborri. "Ranma's in here, still hurt, and the two of you dare come in here fighting? Get out!" She demanded, only to have both girls turn their intense gazes on her and swing their weapons her way, forcing Akane to jump back to avoid them as she took up the Tendo fighting stance while Shampoo thrw away the now-useless stick in her right hand, favoring her remaining bonborri.

"OUTTA THE WAY!" Both Ukyo and Shampoo screamed at the same time, rushing towards Akane, swinging their weapons.

"Damn, this is gonna hurt." Akane thought. "Though, if it's for Ranma, that's fine!" She steeled her determination, smirking grimly as she prepared to fight to the bitter end.

Just as the three were about to clash, however, A sudden, familiar ki suddenly swamped the room, and before any of the girls could blink, both Ukyo's and Shampoo's weapons were stopped cold, held fast by a pair of very familiar hands as they were levelled with an icey-blue glare.

-A few moments earlier, in Heaven-

Ranma stood solemnly before his grandfather and Kimiko Tendo, in the same field that they had met the first time. "Boy..." Genryu started, stepping forward. "Are you sure that you wish to go back now? There is still much I can teach you, and time here is not the same as it is in the mortal realm, We can train for a few more months yet, and it will still have only been a few more days having passed." Genryu said, not quite pleading.

Ranma shook his head. "Sorry gramps, but I've got a bad feelin' something's gonna happen, and I wanna get back as soon as possible. I hope ya understand." He replied, scratching the back of his head.

Kimiko smiled, stepping forrward, enveloping Ranma in a motherly hug. "It's fine dear. Just make sure to keep to the plan, alright?" She asked, smiling.

Ranma nodded, tenativly returning the hug. "Yeah." He replied.

Genryu nodded, stepping forward as Kimiko finally let go of Ranma. "I'm proud of ya boy." He started, his voice gruff. "Just don't forget what I told ya, alright? You can find those scrolls in the Saotome temple, located at the bas of the mountain that is a part of our lands. You will be my official heir, once you prove to the others, namely your grandmother and your aunt, that you have sufficiently mastered the Saotome School of Iron Dragon Fist. However, make sure and show them the proper respect they deserve!" He ordered.

Ranma grinned, thumbing his nose. "Yeah yeah, I hear ya gramps." He replied casually.

Genryu smirked, then held out his right hand.

Ranma was surprised at first, then returned his grandfather's grin, reaching out and firmly grasping the older man's hand, shaking it twice.

"It was good seeing you Ranma" Kimiko said, placing a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Please be a dear and pass what I've said along to my family, alright?" She asked with a smile.

"Yeah." Ranma replied, nodding.

Genryu let go of Ranma's hand. "Be seein' ya again someday boy." He said, a hint of emotion in his voice.

Ranma grinned cheekily as he began to fade. "Yeah, but hopefully it won't be for a long time!" He called out.

And then Ranma was gone. Returning to his physical body, the woman he loved, and the problems that confronted him.

-In the hospital room-

Akane stareed, her eyes wide and unblinking. "Wh-What? Ruh-Ranma?" She asked, reaching towards his back as he stood between her and the other girls.

Ranma's battle aura flared to life, becoming an aqua-florescent inferno around his entire body, before seeming to suck inwards, becoming tighter and tighter, sinking into his muscles, which suddenly buldged under the strain of the power that was running through his entire body. Without even the slightest hint of strain, Ranma's grip tightened, ruining both Ukyo's spatula and Shampoo's bonborri. "I come back, only ta find the two of ya about to attack Akane? You better get outta here before I do something that, at the moment, I really won't regret doin'." He warned, his tonecalm and level, the only real signs of his anger being the dangerous look in his eyes.

Ukyo, never having seen Ranma this angry, decided that obeying him and disappearing wouldn't be such a bad idea, and promptly did so, her eyes wide with fear as she backed out of the room silently, taking her bent spatula with her. Shampoo, on the other hand, happy to see her husband up and about smiled hugely. "Airen have strength back!" She exlaimed, jumping up to glomp him.

"I SAID NOW!" Ranma roared, his ki flaring back to life around him, knocking Shampoo back through the still-open door, slamming her against the opposite wall. "I can't believe that you and Ukyo'd do somethin' as dishonorable as attackin' like that, when I was out. I thought ya were a better person than that, Shampoo." He said, his voice finally taking on an angry tone as Shampoo stared at him in shock, her wide eyes beginning to fill with tears.

Dr. Tofu, who had been about to intercede himself, looked on in interest, appearing beside the still-stunned Shampoo and hitting the sleep points on the back of her neck, knocking the young amazoness out. "Hmmm... This is most interesting." He thought to himself as he picked up Shampoo, watching the well of ki that surrounded Ranma. Without further preamble, Tofu slipped quietly back toward Shampoo's room to put her back to bed.

Back in Ranma's room, said boy sank to his knees, clutching at his sides as he moaned in pain and slumped over. "Ranma!" Akane cried, rushing over to kneel by his side, lifting his head into her lap as he moaned once and gazed up at her.

"Huh-hey... 'Kane... You ok?" He asked weakly.

"Yeah, I'm fine Ranma." Akane replied, tears in her eyes.

Ranma smirked faintly. "Good..." He breathed, slipping into blissful unconciousness.

At that moment, Dr. Tofu walked back into the room,without his burden, kneeling beside Akane and Ranma as he checked the boy's pulse.

"Doctor Tofu, what's wrong with him?" Akane asked, worry seeping into her voice.

Tofu shook his head, smiling. "Don't worry Akane, Ranma is fine, he just lost conciousness is all. He should wake up again shortly" he replied, easily lifting Ranma into his arms and carrying him over to the bed and laying him on it.

Akane, took her seat beside Ranma's bed, looking over at Ranma's prone form, looked up at Tofu. "Did you find out what you needed?" She asked.

Tofu nodded, still smiling. "Yes, as a matter of fact I did. However, I feel that we should wait until Ranma wakes up before I tell the good news." He replied, pulling up a spare chair and sitting down beside the duo, waiting for Ranma to wake back up,

* * *

Just outside of the room, Genma dropped down from his hiding place. "Th-that was the Iron body technique! I thought my father's techniques died with him, so how does Ranma know it?" He wondered, quaking in fear, as he snuck off.

**-TBC-**


	5. Chapter 5 Airen no More!

A/N - First off, I must apologize to all of my readers for being so late with this chapter, bust sometimes, life just rears it's ugly mug and bites ya in the ass.

Anyway, without further adieu, I proudly present the next chapter in 'Rebirth of a Legend'!

Enjoy!

**Chapter 5**

**Airen no More!**

Dusk was just beginning to settle over the Cat café as the last of the days customers had left and it's three sole workers put out the closed sign and began to clean up what mess remained from that days business. One in particular, Cologne, finished counting out the money made that day. "Hum... Today was a good day..." The matriarch murmured to herself as she put the money into a safe along with the ledger. Though she was diminutive, being just under two feet tall, and one of the oldest people alive, she moved with the agility and grace of someone a quarter her age as she deftly leapt on top of her cane, which was easily three times her size, and used it to pogo from the back room through the kitchen and into the main dining area where the other two occupants, Shampoo and Mousse, who were currently mopping the dining area. Cologne couldn't help but smile a bit as she watched her great-granddaughter as she diligently worked- The girl would make a fine leader of their proud village some day, and once she finally managed to snare Ranma, they would have a family that would surely be the envy of the rest of the world as they led the Amazons into a new age of prosperity.

As Cologne sat there, she felt a sudden wave of tiredness wash over her, causing her to yawn, though her eyes were widening- This could only mean one thing, the ancestors were sending a vision! Such a rare occurrence, as it had only happened twice before since she had become a village elder almost fifty years ago, but for it to happen now of all times?! And to affect her so far from the village?! Surely this vision would be the most important that she would ever receive! "Shampoo!" She called out, halting her granddaughter as she hopped over to her.

"Yes grandmother?" Shampoo asked, setting down her mop and looking towards Cologne, who stopped right in front of her.

Cologne smiled tiredly. "It's been a busy day, so I am going to head to bed early. I want you and Mousse to finish up in here, and then you will be free to do as you wish." She responded.

Shampoo smiled. "Ok! Sleep well great-grandmother!" She replied, taking her mop in hand again as she started to wash at a particularly stubborn spot that had been refusing to come up.

"Goodnight Shampoo." Cologne said, hopping towards the stairs that led to the second level of the shop, which contained her and Shampoo's living quarters.

Mousse sighed tiredly as he finished his own area. "The old monkey had a pretty good idea there, I'm gonna hit the hay as well Shampoo." He said, putting up the cleaning supplies he had been using.

"Whatever." Shampoo replied absently, pouring some more soap over the vexing stain, then attacking it again with the mop, earning a despondent sigh from Mousse, who disappeared into the back, where his own room was.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cologne finished setting up her incense burners and had rolled out her meditation mat, taking a deep breath before settling down into a lotus position on the center of the mat, closing her eyes as she continued to breathe deeply, beginning fall into fall into a trance-like state.

Suddenly, Cologne heard cries outside, and two large battle auras flared to life, breaking her concentration. Before Cologne could get up to investigate what was going on, however, she felt a powerful force seize her mind, pulling her back into her trance. Deeper and deeper into darkness Cologne fell, a chaotic symphony of voices all about, speaking in different languages, each one terrifying, each one comforting, each laughing, sobbing, crying out in both pain and ecstasy, each one inaudible, and yet perfectly clear. A light bloomed before Cologne's eyes, its sudden brightness all-encompassing as she cried out and shied away, futilely shielding her eyes from the blinding light as it washed over her.

It was several moments after the light dimmed before Cologne dared to take her hands away from her face, gasping in amazement when the spots finally cleared from her vision, seeing the entirety of the Amazon nation's warriors, both female and male, arrayed before her proudly, prepared for battle, their steely gazes staring gravely past her as they held themselves at the ready. #My sisters, what is going on here?!# Cologne asked in their native tongue, twirling around to see what they were staring at.

What she saw caused Cologne to gasp in shock, clutching at her chest as her heart threatened to seize up on her. She and the others were standing atop a vast plateau, and arrayed across the plains below them was a vast army, far greater and more numerous than any the old woman had ever seen before. #Wh-what is going on here?!# She gasped, staggering back as her eyes swept across the vast host before her. Looking closer, she noted that the army was made up of the tribes of the Phoenix, Musk, the Seven Lucky Gods, as well as what seemed like every other tribe in the region, headed by Saffron, Herb, Kirin, and... #Dear lord, is that Soun Tendo, Genma Saotome, and the Hibiki boy down there? What are they doing here?!# Cologne asked, gaping like a fish as the six stood together at the head of the army. Narrowing her eyes, Cologne checked once again, and what she saw left her speechless, as every tribe, in addition to their own standard, carried a flag that spelled out the Saotome Anything Goes Style. '_What could this mean?!_' She wondered, trying to puzzle out the horrifying sight before her.

Managing to pull her gaze away, Cologne looked about, finally spotting the other elders a short distance away. #Sisters!# She called out, rushing towards them. #What madness is this?! Why are the other tribes allied against us, and why are those three with them?!# She asked rapidly, skidding to a halt before the rest of the council of elders. They never answered, however, simply staring down at the generals of the assembled army before them. #HEY!# Cologne exclaimed, reaching out to grasp the shoulder of the first elder she reached, Perfume, only for her hand to pass through as if she were not there. #What?! Then... Then this must be the premonition!# Cologne gasped, a feeling of dread sinking into the pit of her stomach.

#Damn it all!# Soap, another of the elders, suddenly cursed, spitting on the ground. #Why did Ku-lon not step in while she still had a chance?! If it hadn't have been for her, we wouldn't be in this mess!# She ranted.

Another of the elders, Perfume, turned to Soap, tsking. #Now, now sister, don't be like that. It wasn't Ku-Lon's fault, it was an accident. You shouldn't speak ill of the dead.# She scolded softly.

Cologne reeled back, gasping at this new shock- She was dead?! How did that happen?!

#That doesn't change the fact that the Tendo girl died in a fight against Xian-Pu now, does it?!# Soap shot back sourly. #Because of that girl's carelessness in battle, we are facing a fight that we cannot win!# She continued to rant.

Cologne felt her knees give out and she fell to the ground, her eyes wide. Akane died in a battle with Shampoo?! And now there was an army getting ready to kill them all?! How could this have ever come to pass?!

Perfume shook her head sadly. #We share our own guilt in that fiasco. We did urge them to hurry in capturing Xian-Pu's airen after all.# She replied, turning to the other Amazons. #MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS!# She called out, gathering everyone's attention. #TODAY, WE FACE THE GREATEST CHALLENGE THAT HAS EVER COME BEFORE US! IN THIS DARK HOUR, A GREAT AND TERRIBLE ENEMY HAS ARISEN, AND GATHERED ALL OF OUR OLD ALLIES AND ENEMIES TOGETHER TO CRUSH US, AND OUR LAST HOPE, THE PEOPLE'S ARMY OF CHINA, HAS YET TO ANSWER OUR CALL FOR AID!# Clearing her throat, Perfume began to pace before the army assembled before her. "YET DO NOT DESPAIR! WE MAY DIE TODAY, BUT WE WILL DIE WITH HONOR! WE WILL SHOW THESE FOOLS WHY WE, THE AMAZONS, ARE THE MOST FEARED TRIBE OF WARRIORS TO EVER LIVE!# She yelled, inciting cheers from the other Amazons as they raised their weapons and prepared for battle.

#LOOK! IT'S THE PEOPLE'S ARMY!" One of the rear scouts yelled out, pointing excitedly as a host of troops and a battalion of tanks appeared on the horizon, elicting wild cheers from many of the gathered Amazons, feeling a stirring of hope that they may actually win.

Those cheers died away however, when the People's army grew close enough to reveal that they too, were moving under the Saotome banner. #Heaven help us...# One of the younger women whispered, sinking to her knees.

Then, without warning, a great and terrible aura swept over them all, blanketing the entire area in a suffocating miasma of almost visible power. Turning, they all saw a figure, clad in golden armor and a mask in the likeness of a skull, slowly float up into their line of vision, continuing upwards until he was a dozen feet above the elders, held aloft by his power as he crossed his arms over his chest. #Well, well, well, what have we here? A bunch of bitches and whipped dogs, all alone and without any help, facing their day of judgement? What will you do now? All of your allies have deserted you and joined my side, and now you are all alone.# He chuckled darkly, his Mandarin slightly accented.

Perfume stood, proud and defiant to their enemy. #What have we done to deserve this? Surely boy, you know that we had nothing to do with Xian-Pu's and Ku-Lon's schemes, and there was nothing we could have done in any case. It was their choice to continue their pursuit of you.# She countered.

#Do you honestly expect me to believe that?# The figure asked, uncrossing his arms and reaching up, taking hold of the helmet that covered his head. #I know that you all greatly desired my power, seeing as how I had already proven myself to be the greatest martial artist alive, having defeated Herb, Kirin, and Saffron in battle, and I know of the missives that you had sent to Ku-Lon, telling her that they were to collect me, or they were to return to the tribe and their family name be forever disgraced, despite the fact that Akane and I had already declared our love for one another, and were planning our wedding. I know that you, as the ruling council, could have cancelled the kiss at any time, yet you chose to be greedy, and that greed has cost us all.# He went on, pulling the helmet off.

#RANMA!# Cologne gasped, taking in Ranma's new look. He appeared to be a few years older, with a condescending sneer on his face, and a jagged scar that stretched from his temple down over his left eye and down to his jaw-line.

Ranma absent-mindedly stroked the scar, running his index finger up and down it's length. #On the day that I received this...# He started, his eyes clouding in remembrance. #...The day that the one person who I had given my heart and soul to, the one person that I loved more than life itself died, and I fought Ku-Lon, Xian-Pu, and Mzu-Tse to the death, I swore, I swore a blood oath as Akane died in my arms, that I would hunt down your tribe and wipe you from the face of the Earth. And today, on the third anniversary of her death, I shall fulfill that vow. None of you will leave this mountain alive.# He promised, his eyes brimming with madness as his ki flared out even higher.

Soap, much to the surprise of everyone, threw herself forward, bowing low before Ranma, her withered forehead brushing the ground. #Please, spare us!# She cried out as she tossed her pride away, visibly shaking the others. No Amazon ever begged for anything! It was unheard of! #Please! We shall give you anything you desire! You have but to name it! Just don't kill us all! My first great-great-granddaughter was born just yesterday!# She continued, her voice cracking with emotion.

Ranma smirked mirthlessly as the other elders gaped at Soap in shock and horror. #What is this, an Amazon begging? Why, the only other time I've heard this is when that fool Mzu-Tsu begged me not to snap Xian-Pu's pretty little neck!# He declared, shaking his head. #You will give me anything I want though? Are you telling me that you can give me back my heart, my soul? Can you bring the smile back to my face, and the light back to my life? Can you bring my Akane back to me? WELL, CAN YOU?!# He continued, his voice growing louder and louder, until he was screaming, his face red with anger. Taking a moment, he stopped completely, his breath slowing and evening out as his face returned to it's normal color. #The simple answer to that is- You can't. You have nothing to offer me, nothing that I want. You all will die today, and the only place left where you will be is in the history books as a foolish tribe who brought about their own demise. Though, I will admit, it is amusing to see how weak you really are, begging like this.# He replied, his voice even.

Perfume stepped forward, shoving Soap out of the way with one foot as she snarled up at Ranma. #We are not so weak boy! You may kill us this day, but I promise that it will not come without great cost!# She snapped.

Ranma turned his back on the Amazons, raising one hand high into the air. #If there is anything that can be said about most of you people, it's that most of you at least have spines, standing up to me, even though your end is so close. Die with honor." He said, his voice soft as a sphere of brightly shining blue energy appeared in the palm of his hand, growing in size and power. Without warning, he released the blast towards them, even as his army let out a deafening roar and charged the slopes, their push an unstoppable, rolling thunder that sounded the doom of the Amazons.

#NOOO!# Cologne screamed as the world around her seemed to disappear in a bright blue flash, closing her eyes against the sudden onslaught of light. A moment later, her eyes snapped open again, and Cologne found herself still upon her meditation mat, a fine sheen of sweat beading her brow. #Wh-What was that?! Surely... Surely that could have not been the future! There is no way that things would grow so bad that Xian-Pu and Akane would fight to the death, and...# She shuddered uncontrollably, remembering the other parts of the vision. #Son-in-law is going to become strong enough to not only defeat Kirin and Herb, but Saffron as well?! It can't be possible, no human should be able to defeat a demigod!# She exclaimed to herself, shuddering in terror at the thought of anyone having that kind of power.

Climbing shakily to her feet, Cologne, feeling every bit her age, happened to glance out the window, seeing the bright morning sunlight. #That vision... It lasted the entire night?!# She murmured. Without warning, her private telephone, set up purely for emergencies, went off, startling the old woman with its sudden shrillness. Stepping over to it, Cologne hesitantly picked up the receiver. #Hu-Hello?# Listening to the frantic voices on the other side of the line, Cologne's face drained of all color, the other elders had received the same vision she had. #Yes, I saw it as well... Yes, I am going to go to Xian-Pu right now to tell her that we must stop our pursuit of the boy. Do not worry, I will not fail sisters.# She finished, hanging up the phone. Grabbing her cane, Cologne rushed out of her room and into Shampoo's, only to find it empty. "SHAMPOO?!" She called out, switching back to Japanese as she looked for her granddaughter. Going downstairs, Cologne was shocked to find a large hole in one wall, and Mousse sitting dejectedly in a chair at one of the tables, staring at the floor, but no sign of Shampoo. "Mousse! Where is my granddaughter?!" Cologne demanded, hopping over to the depressed teen.

"She went to the hospital, where Ranma is..." Mousse replied with a sigh, looking away, missing Cologne's reaction.

"Oh no, Akane is probably there as well!" Cologne whispered, her face paling as she rushed out the front door, heading for the hospital.

-Meanwhile, at the Tendo Dojo-

Soun, refreshed from taking a bath, walked into the living room, only to find a heavily drunken Genma standing there. "Genma my friend! What is wrong?" Soun asked, rushing over to catch Genma as he began to fall.

"It's -hic- Ranmaaa..." Genma slurred, sitting down with the help of Soun

"Ranma? What happened? Is he ok?" Soun asked, beginning to panic.

Genma looked up at Soun with bleary, bloodshot eyes. "-Hic- he'sss sokay... juss'... Scary as hell..." He said, taking a huge swig from his sake bottle.

"'Scary as all hell?' What do you mean my friend? Something hasn't happened, has it?" Soun asked, bewildered.

Ignoring Soun, Genma looked down into the clear liquid inside of his bottle. "Say Tendo... do you remember my father?" He asked, speaking slowly and carefully so that he wouldn't screw up.

Soun nodded solemnly, remembering all too well the time when he had been caught trying to peek at Genma's sister in the shower by Mr. Saotome. He remembered all too well, because that was the closest he had ever come to actually dying, Genma's old man having dished out a liberal beating on Soun.

"Well... the boy seems to know my dad's Iron -hic- Fist techniques... he used the Iron Body and crushed Shampoo's and Ukyo's weapons... then he just about went on a rampage, and the only reason he was -hic- stopped was because of his injuries from the fall..." He took another swig of Sake. "My family's techniques... I was never good enough for them... but... maybe... just maybe... Ranma... Can succeed where... I failed..." With that, he fell into a drunken slumber.

Soun placed a hand on his sleeping friend's shoulder, his face grave. "Saotome, my friend... -urgh-! You need to loose some weight." He grumbled as he dragged Genma over to a wall, where he left him to sleep.

-At the hospital-

Ranma's eyes slowly opened as he finally began to wake, taking in the sight of the ceiling above. Just great, he was still in the hospital! Grumbling slightly, Ranma noted an unfamiliar weight on his chest, so, tilting his head slightly, looked down, noting with a small amount of surprise that Akane was asleep on his chest, snoring lightly, causing Ranma to grin slightly. Pulling his good hand out from under the covers, Ranma reached down, caressing Akane's cheek and brushing some of her hair behind her ear. 'Man... She's so cute when she's asleep...' He mused to himself. _'Yeah... I'm sure of it, Akane's the only one I want, but... How am I gonna break it to the other girls? Shampoo can be a bit of a pest at times, but I do like her, she's a good friend. And Ukyo... I've got feelin's for her, but she's more like a little sister to me instead of somebody I could see myself bein' married to... It's gonna hurt, them emotionally, and me physically when they beat the crap outta me, but Akane's the only one I'm in lo-"_ Ranma's thoughts were abruptly cut off as Akane started to stir under his hand.

"Mmm... Don' stop..." Akane mumbled, still mostly asleep, feeling a wonderful sensation through her hair and against her cheek. Slowly coming awake, Akane's eyes fluttered open, Taking in Ranma's surprized face, his eyes wide and unblinking, and his hand, which was resting against her face. "Ranma, what are you doing?" She asked, her voice and face unreadable as she snapped fully awake.

Ranma, fearing that he was in trouble, gulped audibly. "I... I was just strokin' your hair, 'Kane..." He said feebly, inwardly cringing, knowing the pain was going to come at any second.

"It feels nice, so I'll give you five minutes to stop." Akane said with a smirk, closing her eyes.

Ranma gulped, his eyes going wide- Akane actually liked what he was doing?! Normally she'd be punting him to LEO by now or something! Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Ranma continued to stroke Akane's hair, settling into the comfortable silence, enjoying the moment they were having.

Ranma..." Akane started after a few moments, opening her eyes to look up into her fiance's face. "Why did you do it?" She asked, her voice quiet.

"Do what?" Ranma asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion as he continued his ministrations.

"Put yourself in harm's way like that for me, you dummy. You got hurt, and you scared me really badly." Akane replied.

Ranma grinned. "Sorry for scarin' ya like that Akane, but we were fallin', and you were out, so I did what I felt like I had to. I..." his gaze shifted away as his grin faltered. "I couldn't stand to see ya get hurt... Not over me..." He admitted quietly.

"Ranma?" Akane asked, confused.

"The thing is..." Ranma continued to look away, taking a deep breath. "I've thought about this a lot, ever since the accident... Me 'n Shampoo are friends, and Ukyo is like a sister ta me, but..." He looked back, his gaze locking with Akane, taking another breath as he decided to take the plunge. " You are the one that I've given my heart to, the one that I wanna spend the rest of my life with, if things work out between us that is." He admitted, his heart hammering wildly in his chest, afraid of what Akane's reaction would be.

Akane, for her part, was shocked speechless, her mouth dropping open and her eyes as wide as they could go. Did she really just hear what she thought she did? Had Ranma admitted that he... No, her ears must have been playing tricks on her. Looking closely at Ranma's face, Akane realized that she hadn't heard him wrong! "Ranma, I..." She started, at a complete loss of words as her feelings began to well up in her chest, her eyes moistening.

Ranma couldn't help but grin. "Akane..." He started, only to hear a commotion outside the door to his room. "What was that?!" He asked.

Akane bolted upright, her face flushing with embarrassment. "I don't know! I'll go check." She offered, mentally sighing that their moment together had been interrupted like that.

"Here, I'll go with ya." Ranma replied, struggling to his feet.

"Ranma! You shouldn't be out of bed!" Akane exclaimed, rushing to his side to support him.

Ranma, in return, offered Akane a smirk. "Nah, I'll be fine!" He boasted as Akane pulled his good arm across her shoulders, though his smirk died away as he felt a breeze between his knees. "Wha-?!" He started in sudden embarrassment, his face flushing as brightly red as Akane's had been as he looked back, along with Akane, only to see the back of his hospital gown open, causing his face to flush even brighter as Akane gaped. "Akane!" He gasped, pulling his arm out of her grip and reaching back, clutching the back of the gown tightly together.

"I-I-I-" Akane stuttered, unable to form a coherent thought. "We better see what that racket was!" She suddenly exclaimed, her face beet red as she marched forward ahead of Ranma, determinedly not looking back at him as she walked along stiffly.

Ranma, after overcoming his own embarrassment, couldn't help but snicker a little. _'Who's the pervert again?'_ He wondered to himself, following along behind Akane as she slid open the door.

-At that same time, outside in the hall-

Shampoo, having woke up moments ago, had once again snuck out of her room, heading determinedly for Ranma's, using the wall for support, her body protesting with every step. Why had Ranma hurt her like that? Shampoo didn't understand! Ranma was her husband, so why was he defending that... that... That little useless girl! Shampoo couldn't wrap her mind around it, and it hurt her that Ranma would take Akane's side instead of her own, but Shampoo would show him, show him that She was the only one for him, that she was the one that truly loved him, not any of the others! Her mind made up, Shampoo pressed forward, despite the pain she was in.

Cologne, having found out which room Ranma was in, quickly rushed up through the hospital, praying that she wasn't too late as she made her way up, and sighing in relief as, when she finally made it to the hall that Ranma's room was located in, spotted Shampoo struggling towards his door. #.XIAN-PU! STOP WHERE YOU ARE THIS INSTANT!#" she yelled in Mandarin, quickly hopping over to where Shampoo was, placing herself between Shampoo and Ranma's room.

Shampoo, taken aback by her grandmother's sudden appearance, felt hope well up in her. #Have you come to help me claim my husband?# She asked hopefully, resting against the wall.

Cologne shook her head sadly. "No, Shampoo. I'm afraid that I've actually come her to do the opposite. Your claim on Ranma, as decided this morning by a unanimous vote of the council of elders, has been annulled, and I am to tell you to give up." She replied, slipping back into Japanese.

Shampoo felt her world begin to crumble around her- She was being forced to give up her claim on Ranma?! Surely this wasn't right! "Move." She ordered, growing angry. "Shampoo go in there and show Airen that Shampoo only one for him, not Stupid kitchen destroyer!" She yelled.

Cologne sighed, letting her granddaughter's insult by ordering her to do something slide, given the situation. Quickly reaching around, she pressed some points on the back of Shampoo's neck, paralyzing the young girl. "I am sorry, Shampoo, but I'm afraid I cannot let you do that. The other elders and I received a terrible premonition, one where us, as well as our tribe, will be destroyed at Ranma's hands, unless we give up on him. To avoid this horrible fate, your kiss of marriage to Ranma Saotome has been annulled, and we will not face any loss of honor for not retrieving him." She explained.

Tears started to streak down Shampoo's face. #But Grandmother, I love him!# She exclaimed in Mandarin, beginning to sob, unable to move because of the paralysis.

Cologne sighed, hating to see Shampoo's heart break like this. "I know, my child. I know that you love him, but this is about more than a matter of the heart, it's about the survival of our tribe." She replied sadly. "Come, Shampoo. I will release you from the pressure points, but I think it best if we leave immediately. We can be back home by the end of the week." She consoled.

"So is that it? You're gonna leave without even saying goodbye?"

Cologne froze, her eyes widening as she felt her breath catch in her throat, hearing the voice of the one person who, right now, scared her more than any other, even Saffron himself. "Well, it's good to hear your voice... Ranma..." She choked out, unused to calling him anything other than son-in-law, not daring to even turn around. "I am sorry for all the trouble we have caused you, and we, the Amazons, shall bother you no more. Goodbye, Ranma Saotome, may you live a long life of happiness, with no reason to name our tribe as your enemy." She said carefully.

Ranma, who was standing just outside of his room, with Akane right behind him, reached out with his good hand, placing it on Cologne's shoulder, feeling the old woman flinch involuntarily under his hand. "Hey..." he started. "I don't know what ya saw in your vision thing, but whatever it was, I'm sure we can work it out. I'd hate ta loose my friends after all." He said, grinning.

Cologne, gathering her courage, started to turn "Wha-"

"This mean airen really love Shampoo?!" Shampoo interrupted hopefully, sniffling.

Ranma looked over at Shampoo, shaking his head sorrowfully. "Sorry Shampoo, but I'm afraid you'll only ever be a friend to me, I like someone else." He replied.

"But you Shampoo's husband!" Shampoo replied weakly as she felt tears welling up again, feeling all of her energy drain away at Ranma's admission.

Ranma shook his head again. "No Shampoo, I'm not. I don't have those kinds of feelin's for ya." He replied feeling Akane place her hand on the small of his back as he began to wobble slightly. "I know that's not what ya want, but that's just the way things are."

"But-" Shampoo started.

"Cologne." Ranma said, cutting Shampoo off. "I don't wanna marry your granddaughter, but I count you guys among my few friends, and I'd like ta offer an alliance, with the Amazon tribe, and with your family, on the honor of the Saotome family." He said.

Cologne was struck speechless. Ranma was offering a familial alliance?!Such a bold declaration, though not as powerful as a marriage between Ranma and Shampoo, was still powerful, and would bring great honor to them, if they managed to gain his allegiance. "Are you sure?" She asked quietly.

Ranma nodded, his face showing that he was serious. "Yeah, I'm sure." He replied.

Cologne nodded, her mind already formulating plans. "Alright then, Ranma Saotome, I, Elder Cologne, accept your offer of alliance to my tribe and my family. Shall we discuss the terms of this alliance?" She asked.

"Yeah." Ranma replied. "But... Ya mind if we talk about it in my room? I ain't exactly in any condition right now ta be standin' for long." He said sheepishly.

Cologne surprised herself by laughing. "That's true!" She exclaimed, hopping over to release Shampoo from the pressure points.

Ummm... Would ya mind helpin' me back to bed Akane? I'm findin' it kinda hard ta even stand right now..." Ranma asked, blushing.

Akane, who had stepped up to Ranma's side, smiled, glad that she could be useful. "Sure, Ranma." She replied, taking his arm and slinging it across her shoulders, helping him back into his room, followed by Cologne, and a still weak and depressed Shampoo.

* * *

As the door slid shut behind them, a few rooms over, a familiar young kendoist began to stir from his sleep.

**-TBC-**

A/N - Man! It's lookin' like things are about ta change for everyone's favorite martial artist, but will they be for the better? Please review!


	6. Chapter 6 His Feelings

A/N– ^^ Well! I was pleasantly surprised by the number of reviews I got from the last chapter! Anyway, I'm deeply sorry that this took so long, but real life rears it's ugly head at the worst times.

However, there was one reviewer, Anon, who didn't bother to even leave their name so that I could reply to them in private, so I'm just gonna have to take care of it right here. Firstly, as to Tofu's presence at the hospital, while he is an acupuncturist/chiropractor, he does run a neighborhood clinic, and, on the occasion when its shown some of his patients, a few of them at least had some broken bones and head wounds, signifying that he is equipped to deal with such things, and a majority of Ranma's injuries were badly broken bones. Also, if you'll go back and read over that chapter, Tofu said that he happened to be at the hospital, helping a colleague when they brought Ranma in, and Tofu is Ranma's primary doctor (at least in my story), so of course he'd be one of the ones to help. Also, you won't be seeing ANY Sailormoon characters in my story, no matter how minor (unless, of course, if I decide to have someone be watching Sailormoon on T.V. as a cartoon).

Oh yeah, if ya want proof, which someone will ask for it, I'm certain, I'll tell ya where to look at right now- Volume 1, page 190- There's a guy there with a broken arm talking to another with a bandage around his head.

On another note, from this chapter on, this story goes from being a rewrite of my old story to being an original. That's right, good ol' Kintaro Oe won't be showing up this time around!

**-Chapter 6-**

**-His Feelings-**

Tofu was sitting in a low-backed chair, which was very comfortable in his opinion, as he finished scrolling over the last vew pages in a very old, rather weighty tome before clapping the book closed with a sigh of relief. "Finished!" He exclaimed to no one in particular, a smile on his face. "Well, I suppose I should go tell Ranma the good news." He hummed to himself.

Another man, with long black hair pulled back into a pony-tail and wearing rather thick glasses and a white doctor's coat, looked over at Tofu from where he was pouring himself some coffee. "Ranma? As in that boy that we worked on four days ago? He won't be able to hear you, you know, he's still in a coma!" He remarked, taking a sip of the coffee, only to grimace before he set it down to add some more sugar to it.

Tofu arched an eyebrow and looked over at his friend, Dr. Yamato Hojo. "Oh, didn't I tell you? Ranma woke up earlier this morning." He casually remarked.

Dr. Hojo's eyes widened comically and almost dropped his coffee, only catching himself at the last second. "Really?! That's amazing!" He exclaimed. "I thought the he could be out for another month at least! The fact that he's regained consciousness so quickly is nothing short of astonishing!" He went on.

Tofu nodded happily. "Yes, Ranma has always been one of my fastest healing patients. At this rate, he should be fully healed in around another two weeks or so." He replied.

Hojo frowned at that. "Now Tofu, don't go around spouting such fantasies to the boy. With those horrible injuries, it'll be months before he's healed, and he'll probably never walk again, let alone study martial arts." He said, annoyed that his friend would even think to get that poor boy's hopes up like that.

Tofu raised an eyebrow, looking at his friend. "That's right, you haven't been to Nerima in quite a while, have you?" He asked as he got up and put the musty old book away before walking over to the coffee pot and preparing a cup for himself. "Well, just so you know, Nerima has become rather infested with super-powered martial artists recently, some of which are even stronger than myself, and their ability to bounce back from wounds that would cripple normal people would astound you." He replied.

Hojo shook his head. "I don't care if they are strong enough to lift five-hundred pounds and are able to run as fast as a horse, there is no way any human could take that kind of damage and just bounce back." He said, causing Tofu to burst out laughing. "Hey, what's so funny?!" He snapped.

Tofu shook his head. "Lifting five-hundred pounds and matching a horse's speed would be child's play for any of the martial artists I'm talking about, especially someone like Ranma." He replied casually.

"Bah! Those kind of things are hard for athletes who have trained for twenty years! That kid isn't even seventeen yet!" Hojo shot back.

Raising his eyebrow again, Tofu took his coffee and calked over to one of the near-by 6-foot tall filing cabinets in the room, checking to make sure that it was a full one before he put his shoulder against it and pushed lightly to rock it back enough for him to slide his free hand under, then lifted it without even the slightest grunt of effort, maneuvering it until he was balancing the whole thing on his middle finger, the top of it almost brushing the ceiling as he absently sipped his coffee, watching with mirth as Hojo's jaw dropped open from shock and his eyes widened to comic proportions. "HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!" Hojo screeched.

Tofu gently set the cabinet back down in it's original spot. "I told you, for one of us, that sort of feat is nothing." He replied as Hojo came over and thoroughly checked the cabinet out for any signs of trickery before trying to lift it for himself, and finding that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't do it.

Taking a step back, Hojo shook his head in bewilderment. "That should have been impossible..." He said in awe.

Tofu smirked. "I'll tell you what- If Ranma isn't, for some unimaginable reason, completely better by a month at the latest, I'll come work here like you keep asking me to." He promised.

Hojo couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. "Fine then, your on." He replied, confident that Tofu would finally come work for him. "Lead the way, Doctor Tofu."

Tofu grinned. "That I shall, Doctor Hojo." He replied, and the two men exited the room.

* * *

Ranma sighed audibly with relief as Akane helped him back into bed and pulled his covers up over him. "Thanks Akane." He said gratefully, pulling the covers up a little more before using the control on the bed to lift it until he was in a semi-sitting position.

Akane smiled. "It's no problem Ranma." She replied sitting on the edge of his bed as Cologne and Shampoo took up the only two chairs in the room.

Cologne cackled a bit. "I must say sonny boy, I never thought I'd hear you complain about being hurt!" She said with some mirth.

Ranma shot Cologne a wry grin. "Well, I never planned to fall hundreds of feet while under the effects of that Ultimate Weakness thingie. You'd be surprised what happens when you don't expect it." He shot back. "So... You wanted to talk more about our alliance?" He asked.

Cologne nodded. "Yes, I would like to talk to you about what exactly our alliance entails." She replied. "What exactly are you offering?"

Ranma reached up, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I dunno really, aside from the fact that I'll come to your village's help if you need it in fighting a really tough enemy, and I'll be willing to share techniques with your family." He replied.

Cologne stroked her chin thoughtfully at that. "Of course, we will offer the same, and give you the title of honorary Amazon, as well as pay you a steady, healthy stipend for your continued allegiance and..." She cast a glance over at Shampoo, taking a deep breath- She was about to put everything on the line.

"And what?" Ranma asked, clueless.

Cologne let out the breath. "And... If you would be willing, I would like for you to conceive a child with Shampoo. Your blood would be a great boon to our village." She said, somewhat hesitant.

"WHAT?!" Both Shampoo and Akane screamed at the same time as they shot to their feet, Shampoo with surprise, and Akane in anger.

"No can do." Ranma replied, his voice flat as he glared at the elder. "I've already given my heart to Akane, and I ain't gonna cheat on her, so I couldn't do somethin' like that with Shampoo in the first place, and second, I want my children ta have what I didn't, a good home life, knowin' both of their parents, instead of havin' ta live on the road, never knowin' when they're gonna get their next meal like I did." He went on frostily.

Cologne nodded. "Alright then, how about this... I know you won't agree to an arranged marriage, but how about when your first-born son is of age, a small selection of girls, including Shampoo's, if she has one, are sent here for a time, to see if he can fall in love with any of them. He will not even have to worry about the kiss of marriage. Does that sound agreeable to you?" She asked hopefully.

Ranma, deep in thought, looked over at Akane, who had sat back down, and while still fuming at what Cologne had at first suggested, was biting her lip indecisively as she looked back at him. After a wordless exchange between the two, Ranma looked back at Cologne. "Yeah, that's agreeable- But it can only be for two years at the most, and if our kid doesn't like any of 'em, they gotta go back, no complaints, no kisses, and no tricks." He said, his tone brokering no argument.

Inwardly, Cologne sighed in relief, though she didn't show it outwardly- She'd made a huge gamble, but it payed off. She knew Ranma wouldn't accept impregnating Shampoo, but if she'd come straight out with her real request, the chances that he would turn her down would have been much greater. This way at least, they had a chance of eventually incorporating his bloodline into their village- and if his child fell for Shampoo's, then all the better! "Thank you, sonny boy, that's better than we could have hoped for." She said truthfully."We will stay in Japan for sometime after you heal, so that I can train you in some more of out techniques, and so that you can teach us some of yours, but I'm afraid we won't be able to stay for more than a year and a half. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get back to the restaurant so that I may inform the other elders of this. So, if you'll excuse me, Shampoo and I shall be taking our leave." She said, hopping up onto her walking cane. "Come Shampoo!" She ordered, hopping for the door.

Shampoo got up, though it was plain that she didn't want to leave yet. "Ranma..." She started, looking down at the floor. "You really no love Shampoo?" She asked, her voice subdued.

Ranma sighed, sensing all three girls waiting for an answer. "Shampoo... I admit that I like ya, but, like Ukyo, I only like ya as if you were my little sister or somethin'. I don't wanna lose ya, and your friendship means a lot ta me, since your one of only four or five people that I can count as even bein' kinda friends with, since I either never had time ta make friends when I was younger, or since not that many people wanna have anything ta do with me now, since they think I'm a freak 'cuz of my curse..." He said, his own voice low.

"Oh... Ok... Shampoo guess she see Ranma later then..." Shampoo replied quietly, feeling a pair of tears track down her face as she turned away to follow Cologne, who slid the door open and exited the room.

A few moments after the door closed, Akane finally let out a loud huff. "I can't believe that old woman! To even suggest such a thing!" She exclaimed angrily.

Ranma grinned. "You gotta admit, that was pretty sneaky of her." He replied.

Akane shot her fiancé a heated glare that promised pain. "What was that?" She asked dangerously.

Ranma shook his head, still smirking. "Don't'cha see Akane? The old woman tried ta fake us out. It's somethin' my pop used ta do from time to time when workin' deals- He'd ask for somethin' outrageous, like the old ghoul did, then when turned down, offer soimethin' that, while still pretty big, seemed reasonable compared to what was asked for at first. It actually went better than I coulda hoped for, since she woulda been well in her right, since we're allied now, ta ask for our first-born in an arranged marriage. This way, our kid won't be pressured into somethin' he won't want to do, and instead have a choice." He explained.

Akane's anger vanished as she blinked in surprise- Both at the cunning of Cologne's plan, and the fact that Ranma had caught it, when not even she had. "Really?" She asked, confused.

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, it's true. All in all, that deal went a lot better than I coulda hoped." He replied.

Akane felt a small grin, partly from relief, creep across her face. "I've got to hand it to you Ranma, you pulled that off pretty good- Even I was fooled." She admitted.

Ranma chuckled. "Yeah, I might not be anywhere near Nabiki's level, but I can catch a scam when it's important." He replied. Reaching out, Ranma tentatively took Akane's hand in his own, sitting there in companionable silence as he gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Ranma..." Akane started, only for a loud grumble to cut her off, causing Akane's eyes to widen and a blush to creep across Ranma's face. "Was that your stomach?!" She asked, giggling. Getting an embarrassed nod in return, Akane giggled again. "I'll go get you something to eat." She promised, starting to get up, only to be stopped as Ranma grabbed her wrist.

"Akane... Before ya go, there's somethin' I've gotta tell ya, and since we're alone, now is probably the best time." Seeing Akane settle down and look at him questionably, he cleared his throat. "I... I kinda came closer to passin' than ya might believe, and, well, I was in the afterlife for a little while, 'cuz I was pulled there... While I was there, I saw my grandfather, who died years ago, and..." He took a deep breath. "... And I saw your mom, Kimiko, as well..." He finished quietly.

"What...?!" Akane breathed, her eyes going wide with shock. "Yuh-you saw... mommy?" She asked in disbelief, getting a nod from Ranma. "You jerk, why would you kid about something like that?" She asked, beginning to tear up.

"I ain't jokin' Akane- I'd never joke about somethin' so serious." Ranma replied gravely.

"Wh-What did mommy say then?" Akane asked as a few tears slipped down her cheeks, sensing that Ranma was telling the truth.

"She wanted me to tell ya that she loves you very much Akane, and she's proud of you, that you've grown into a very beautiful young woman." He answered, using his other hand to wipe away some of Akane's tears. "And she told me that you are strong, and that I shouldn't treat ya like I have been, like your made of glass or somethin', so..." He smiled gently, not his usual, cocky grin, but an actual smile. "So, how'd ya like me ta train ya seriously? Not doin' like I have been, but actually, honestly trainin' ya- I'll even cut back on the insults as best I can." He promised.

More tears began to fall. "Really?" Akane whispered in disbelief. Upon seeing Ranma nod again, Akane shot forward, glomping onto him tightly as she began to sob into his chest. "Oh Ranma!" She cried happily, squeezing him as Ranma chuckled lightly and rubbed the top of her head.

"Oh my, are we interrupting something?"

The question caught both teens completely by surprise, causing Akane to let go of Ranma and leap back, both of them blushing furiously as Tofu chuckled and walked in, followed closely by Dr. Hojo. "My word, you were right Tofu, the boy really is awake! How in the blazes is he able to move like that though?!" Hojo exclaimed, completely flabbergasted as he adjusted his glasses and leaned over the bed to look closer at Ranma.

"Hey, do ya mind?" Ranma questioned, clearly uncomfortable as Hojo began to poke his cheek.

Tofu chuckled again. "I told you Hojo, the martial artists from my area, especially Ranma, heal notoriously fast. Though even I'm surprised, I thought Ranma wouldn't be sitting for another four or five days." He repleid, adjusting his glasses.

"Well I'm almost healed doc, so I was wonderin' if I could leave soon?" Ranma asked hopefully, finally swatting Hojo's hand away.

Tofu frowned. "I don't know Ranma- I'm surprised that your even up. How did you manage that?" He asked.

"How is he up?! HOW IS HE EVEN CONSCIOUS?! WHY ISN'T HE LAYING THERE MOANING IN PAIN?!" Hojo screeched, his world-view completely blown.

Ranma shook his head and looked over to Tofu in question. "He's not from Nerima." Tofu replied simply.

"Ahhh, ok, I see now." Ranma nodded. "Anyway, I've always been able ta heal fast- I had ta learn from my years of hard travellin' with pop. But anyway, while I was out, I kinda learned how ta accelerate my healin' by pumpin' even more ki into it than I was already doin' without realizin' it. Anyway, when I woke up, I began to super-charge my healin' rate, so I should be almost back to full health." He explained.

Tofu stroked his chin thoughtfully while Hojo seemed to go into a silent fit, practically frothing at the mouth. "Regardless, You are not leaving without our say-so, so I would like to give you a complete checkup, just to make sure." He replied.

"Checkup? CHECKUP?! What he needs is a complete body scan! We're going to do an entire x-ray as soon as we can!" Hojo yelled.

Tofu and Ranma sighed simultaneously, then Ranma's stomach let out another low growl, elicting a blush from the teen as Akane, who had been standing back, bewildered, let out another giggle upon hearing it. "Sorry..." Ranma apologized. "But usin' up my ki like that, especially since I just woke up, has really drained me and made me hungry. Is there any way I can get somethin' ta eat before ya throw me into some machine?" He asked hopefully.

Tofu smiled. 'Sure, I'll go get you some food right away." He replied, grabbing Dr. Hojo's coat. "So, will you come along Doctor? It'll take more than just me to carry as much food as Ranma will need." He suggested.

Hojo, giving up, sighed in defeat and followed behind Tofu. "How is it possible...?" He mumbled as they walked out the door.

After the two were gone, Ranma turned towards Akane. "Hey Akane, since I might get out today, is there any chance you could go ask Kasumi to make me a reaaally big meal?" He asked hopefully.

Akane smirked. "A really big meal huh? Alright, I'll do it." She promised, walking towards him. "Oh, and Ranma?" She leaned close.

"Uh, yeah?" Ranma asked with a slight blush at how close they were.

"Thanks for coming back." Akane said quietly, bending forward and giving him a quick peck on the cheek before rushing out the door, her cheeks flaming.

Ranma blushed furiously, rubbing the spot where Akane kissed him as any coherent thought refused to form. Finally, after a few moments, he finally shook himself from his stupor. "Alright old man, you can come out now." He called out.

Without warning, Happosai dropped down from the ceiling, landing on Ranma's bed as he deftly pulled out his pipe and struck it up. "Congratulations m'boy, I didn't think that anyone could sense me there." He said, taking a puff. "So, how are you feeling Ranma?" He asked, looking towards his heir.

Ranma sighed, running his fingers through his head. "I've gotta say old man, I was pretty damned pissed at ya, and I'm still not happy with ya, but while I was out, I realized why ya did it." He replied.

Happosai raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you know the true purpose of the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion? I must say that I'm impressed." He whistled in appreciation.

Ranma nodded. "So, when will you release it?" He asked simply.

Happosai puffed on his pipe again. "Hmmm... Not before you, at least, reach the same level of strength that you were at before I applied it. You are my one true heir, I want to see you as powerful as I can get you, and that point is one of the quickest and best ways for you to achieve that." He replied. "Once you reach that level again, you will be almost twice as strong and have almost twice as much stamina and toughness. Not even that Ryoga boy will be able to take as many hits as you." He went on.

Ranma nodded. "Alright old man, I understand you, but..." He looked out the window. "While I was out, I visited the other side, and I met my grandfather." He said.

Happosai narrowed his eyes. "What are you saying boy?" He asked.

Ranma shook his head. "Don't get me wrong old man- I'm going to master Anything Goes, It's in my blood, but so is my families Iron Dragon Fist style, and since my father turned from it, that mans that I'm the sole heir, and if I don't learn it, it'll die out, and that ain't somethin' I can allow. That's why I'm gonna master both styles." He explained.

Happosai nodded, mollified. "Alright then boy, as long as you arn't dropping my style, that's acceptable. The premise of Anything Goes after all, which seems to be lost on all the others, is to have almost everything, so that you arn't surprised by anything and always have an answer after everything that's thrown at you. If you are willing to be serious about this, I'll help you train in both styles. I did fight your grandfather on several occasions after all, he was my only true rival." Happosai said.

Ranma's eyes widened at Happosai's promise, nearly unable to cope with the old man's suddenly serious attitude. "Hey, thanks old man." He finally replied with a smirk.

Happosai smirked back, tapping his pipe. "It's gonna be Hell, just so you know. I'm going to run you into the ground every single day." Suddenly, he cocked his head to the side. "Sorry boy, but I've got to go now, someone is coming, and I don't want anyone to know I'm here- They're all still pretty steamed at me." He said, and with a flourish, leapt towards the window and disappeared.

"Huh? Who is it?" Ranma wondered to himself, surprised by Happosai's sudden departure. Without warning, the door to his room slid open, revealing Kuno standing there, glaring at Ranma, though his bokken was missing. "So, you are finally awake, you foul demon." Kuno growled, stomping into the room.

Ranma groaned, palming his face. "Kuno, Do we really need to do this now? I'm still hurt, and I can't really fight ya. Some other time maybe?" he asked.

Kuno shook his head, walking towards Ranma. "This isn't just some fight Saotome. I know the truth." He shot back, stopping at the foot of Ranma's bed.

Ranma's eyes widened. "Really?! So you finally figured it out?" He asked hopefully.

Kuno's left eye twitched slightly. "Don't take this so lightly Saotome, you have deceived me for many months now with your disguise as the red-haired girl. Tell me, was it all some sick joke to you?" He demanded.

Ranma shook his head. "Look Kuno, I've tried ta tell ya a buncha times about my curse, so did Akane and Nabiki! But ya never believed any of us before, no matter what we tried, Trust me, I wouldn't have just led ya on like that man." He swore.

Kuno crossed his arms, taking a seat in one of the chairs. "I won't deny, when I first found out, I tried to kill you, and it was only through the efforts of the fair Akane, Shampoo, and the good Doctor Tofu why you are still breathing right now. Why shouldn't I kill you anyway?" He asked coldly.

Ranma's eyes narrowed. "If you try, I promise you that only one of us will leave this room, and even if you do manage ta kill me, you will never be the same after." He avowed. "I never tried ta lead ya on Kuno, it wouldn't have been honorable, and I found it pretty disturbing anyway. Trust me, I never wanted this curse- It's horrible. People look at me like I'm some kinda side-show freak, and I'm always gettin' wet. Not to mention some of the scarier aspects, like I'll loose my memory for some reason and think I'm a girl, or that somethin' bad will happen ta me, like... You know..." He looked away.

Kuno's eyes widened at the implication. "Truely, your curse must be a horrible one. I cannot even begin to imagine such a thing." He breathed. "Is there any way to cure your curse?" He asked.

Ranma shook his head. "Not that I know of. If I can ever get back to the cursed springs I might be able ta find the cursed spring of drowned man, but other than that, I got nothin'." he replied bitterly.

Kuno nodded. "Fine then Saotome. It is apparent to me that you didn't ask for your curse, even if a knave as evil as yourself surely deserve such, but I shall let it go for now, and you can be guaranteed that I'll NEVER pursue your girl side again." He said with a shudder of disgust at the last part.

Ranma grinned wryly. "Now that's somethin' I think we can both be thankful for. Though, I guess I really gotta thank you Kuno." He replied.

Kuno's eyebrows rose at that. "Oh? What for?" He asked, curious.

Ranma's smirk grew. "If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't have pushed myself quite as hard as I have on occasion. Even if ya are a jerk, you can be a pretty fun sparring partner at times." He replied.

Kuno smirked as well. "Is that so? Well, I guess I will have to train harder so that next time I will be able to defeat you." He shot back.

Ranma snorted. "Whatever Kuno, you probably can't even beat me in your dreams!" He laughed.

Kuno shook his head. "We will see about that Saotome. Though, You had better believe that I will beat you some day, and reclaim my honor as the greatest fighter of our school! From now on, you are my eternal rival!" He proclaimed.

Ranma laughed. "Whatever man! Friends?" He asked, hopeful.

Kuno shook his head."I do not know yet, Saotome. I just found out the fact that one of the girls I was in love with was indeed your cursed form, and I do not know how to take that- Part of me still wants to punish you after all." He replied.

Ranma's smirk died down. "Yeah, well, like I said- I'm sorry 'bout that. I didn't wanna lead you or your sister on." He said.

Kuno palmed his face as he paled. "Oh no, my twisted sister... Heaven only knows how she will react to this." He sighed.

Just then, the door opened, allowing Tofu and Hojo into the room, leading a nurse who had a cart laden down with trays of food. "What is going on here?" Tofu asked, surprised at seeing Kuno in Ranma's room, and not attacking him.

"Ah, it is the good doctor Tofu! Do not fear sir, I have set aside my anger for now, and was simply talking things out with Saotome." Kuno assured, standing up. "Now, if you will excuse me, I must be getting home, before my sister starts to worry about me." He said, heading for the door, though stopping at the edge. "Oh, and don't forget Saotome, once you are healed, I will hunt you down, and prove once and for all that I am the superior fighter." He said with a smirk, disappearing over the thresh-hold.

"Whatever man!" Ranma yelled after the departing Kendoist. Perking up, his nostrils flared. "How much of that is for me?" Ranma asked hopefully.

Tofu shook his head, grinning. "As much as you want." He replied.

"YIPPIE!" Ranma yelled in joy, leaping from his bed towards the food, already demolishing the first tray before his feet even touched the ground, causing Tofu, Hojo, and the nurse to sweat-drop as empty trays began to clatter against the floor.

"Is-Is he even human?" The nurse whispered fearfully to Dr. Hojo.

"I'm just not sure." Hojo replied, shaking his head as he gulped.

Tofu smiled. "Well! Just as soon as he is done, we can get started on those tests!" He said happily.

**-TBC-**

A/– Well, I would have gone further, but I figured that I can use what I'm thinking of for the next chapter! (Besides, it's 4 in the morning!) Anyway, as always, read it and tell me if ya liked it in a review please!


	7. Chapter 7 Just Another Day in Nerima

A/N– Whoa! The response for the last chapter was so wonderful! I'm glad that you are all enjoying my story so much! Well, with the unfortunate exception of Sepirotho- Though, if you have accepted my invitation to stick around for a few more chapters before making your decision, thank you.

Oh, and for those of you who thought that Happosai was acting a little weird, that was just a little private talk between him and Ranma, he'll be back to his old ways as of this chapter.

Disclaimer time! I don't own nuttin', ya hear me copper? NUTTIN'!

**-Chapter 7-**

**-Just Another Day in Nerima-**

Nodoka Saotome sat down at her table, a nice cup of tea in hand, sighing in relief, having spent the entire day cleaning her house and puttering around in the garden. Taking a sip of her tea, she looked across to the room's mantle, where all of the photos that she had of her Ranma, when he was still a precious little boy, were framed. "Oh Ranma, where are you now?" She asked the pictures wistfully, a lone tear sliding from one eye. So caught as she was in her musings, Nodoka surprised when the telephone began to ring, letting out a small squeak of fright as she placed one hand over her rapidly beating heart. Giving herself a second to get over the shock, Nodoka got up and went over to the phone, answering it on the sixth ring. "Hello?" She asked, finally calming down fully.

"Hello, is this the Saotome residence?" A young, feminine voice asked from the other end.

Nodoka frowned slightly. "Yes, it is. May I ask who is speaking?" She asked in return.

"Why yes, I am Nurse Haruka, from Nerima General. Is this by chance Nodoka Saotome?" The woman, identified as Nurse Haruka asked.

Nodoka's frown deepened a bit more. "Yes, I am Nodoka Saotome. What can I do for you?"

"Why hello Mrs. Saotome!" The nurse's voice bubbled cheerily. "I am sorry to have taken so long to contact you, but it took us a while to find your home number- Apparently it had been misfiled by Mr. Saotome, but I apologize irregardless. Anyway, I am happy to inform you that your son, Ranma, has apparently made a full recovery, and is ready to be released from the hospital today!" She chirped.

Nodoka's eyes widened in shock as she gripped the phone tightly. "Something is wrong with my son? Is he alright?!" She asked frantically.

"Mrs. Saotome, is everything ok?" The nurses voice lost it's cheeriness, becoming concerned. "Didn't your husband inform you of the accident?"

"I haven't heard from Genma in almost ten years. Please, what happened to Ranma?" Nodoka begged, her knuckles white with tension.

"Well, Ranma was involved in a terrible accident a few days ago." The nurse informed, troubled that the nice young man's mother hadn't been told. "I don't know all of the details, but apparently something happened, and Ranma's fiancee, Akane Tendo, was dropped from high up by a tornado or something, and Ranma, who was in the same position that she was, decided , in a romantically heroic act, decided to protect her by putting himself in harms way rather than let her be hurt, and took the full brunt of their fall. He was hurt badly, shattering quite a few bones and receiving massive internal damage, and for a while the doctors thought he was going to pass away, and he almost did, but he managed to pull though, and now he's awake, and miraculously enough, is fully healed! The doctors have already agreed to release him after a few more tests, so if you would like to come pick him up, now is the perfect time." She went on to inform Nodoka.

Nodoka felt the blood rush from her face as she held one hand up to cover her mouth. "H-how long ago was he hurt?" She asked.

"It was... four days ago." Haruka told her.

"How can he possibly be fully healed?!" Nodoka gasped in shock.

The nurse chuckled from the other end. "We were all just as shocked, let me tell you! But apparently, it has something to do with... ki, I think he said?"

Nodoka collapsed to her knees. "I'll be over as soon as I can!" She exclaimed hurriedly.

"Ok then, goodbye Mrs. Saotome!" The nurse replied, not realizing that Nodoka had simply dropped the phone and had already grabbed her purse and was rushing for the door.

* * *

Tataewaki Kuno, Noble Samurai, defender of justice and young beautiful maidens everywhere, sighed morosely as he sat on a cushion in the family room, unable to go into his own chambers, where one of his faithful servants were removing all of the pictures of... Ranma Saotome. He still was finding it hard to believe that the fiery red-headed girl that he had fallen so hard for was in fact his nemesis and proclaimed greatest rival, Ranma. It still made him ill just to think about it, and there was no way that he could face Ranma to confront the issue right now, not with the shame he was feeling. With a heavy sigh, he took a sip of the relaxing herbal tea that he'd had prepared, dreading what he knew he had to do. "Sasuke!" The Heir to the Kuno estates called out resignedly.

Without warning, a diminutive man dressed in ninja garb appeared behind Kuno, kneeling with his head bowed. "You called master?" He asked.

Kuno nodded, not bothering to turn to speak to his servant. "Please go fetch my sister for me, I have news of the upmost importance to tell her." He ordered.

"Yes sir!" Saskue saluted, disappearing in a flash.

A few moments later, Kodachi walked into the room, dressed in her black leotard as she approached her brother, her nose held haughtily in the air. "You called, dearest brother?" She asked in a falsely sweet voice, perturbed that her training had been interrupted.

Kuno nodded. "Yes, I have something to tell you. You may wish to sit down, because what I have learned is most shocking." He said gravely, gesturing to a cushion in front of himself.

"What is it brother?" Kodachi asked as she sank down gracefully, reaching one hand out to rest on her brother's knee, conveniently passing her hand above his tea-cup.

"Well, it is about Ranma Saotome..." Kuno started, reaching for his tea.

* * *

"AHHH! It feels good ta finally be outta that place!" Ranma exclaimed as he stretched his arms above his head while he plodded along at an easy pace on a chainlink fence.

Down on the sidewalk beside her fiancé, Akane couldn't help but giggle a little at his antics, covering her mouth with one hand. What was that all about?" She asked, looking up at Ranma.

Ranma shuddered, remembering the battery of tests that Dr. Hojo had put him through before Akane got back.

-Flashback-

Ranma sat on an observation table, clearly uncomfortable as he was, at the moment, completely naked, and the same set of nurses kept passing by the room, obviously ogling him and whispering things to each other that was just loud enough for Ranma to hear and left the poor teen continuously blushing. Off to one side, completely oblivious, Dr. Tofu and Dr. Hojo were pouring over Ranma's charts and several other papers detailing the conclusions of various tests, before looking up again at the x-rays of Ranma's skeletal structure, which was shown to be almost perfectly healed, mere ghosts of the breaks still barely visible, and even those could be seen to be fading from one picture to the next. "Ummm... Doc? Can I put some clothes on?" Ranma asked hopefully after the gaggle of giggling nurses passed by the door for the sixth time.

Completely ignoring Ranma's request, Dr. Hojo kept flipping through the charts, slowly shaking his head in disbelief, as if he were expecting for the results to magically change before his eyes. "It shouldn't be possible, it goes against everything we know about modern medicine..." He said quietly.

Dr. Tofu grinned. "And yet, the proof is right in front of your eyes." He replied as he tapped the x-rays. Wordlessly, Dr. Hojo began to grip the results, twisting them. "Hojo?" Tofu asked, placing a concerned hand on his friend's shoulder.

Without warning, Hojo threw his hands into the air, cackling maniacally as the papers fluttered down around him. "TOFU! Do you know what this means?!" He exclaimed, grabbing Dr. Tofu by the shoulders and shaking him slightly.

"Ummm... No?" Tofu replied confusedly, adjusting his glasses while Ranma stared at the two from his spot on the table.

Hojo started laughing again, letting go of Tofu's shoulders and rubbing his hands together, a gleam in his eyes. "Why, with this boy's genetic make-up, the possibilities are endless!" He cheered.

"Nani?!" Both Ranma and Tofu exclaimed together, confused, and a little disturbed by the maniacal gleam in Hojo's eyes.

"Indeed!" Hojo went on. "If we were to harvest his genes, we could create a superior type of human! Greater than a normal man in every way! We could lead the world into a new age of prosperity with the super-human gene! And no one would dare oppose us, because we could have an army that would be superior to any other in the world in every single way! If they get shot or lose a limb? Not a problem! They'll regenerate any damage in no time! They'll be strong enough to destroy tanks bare-handed, and other troops won't stand a chance! They'll be the perfect soldiers! In fact, that's what we can call them- SOLDIERs!" He cackled, visions of a perfect world dancing through his head.

"Uhhh... I think it might be best if I get outta here doc." Ranma dead-panned, sweat-dropping.

"Indeed." Dr. Tofu replied, one eyebrow twitching as Hojo continued to rant, completely oblivious to the two. "Well come then Ranma, I believe that a change of clothes was already brought for you. I'll make sure that you are released right away."

With visible relief, Ranma hopped off the table, shrugging on his hospital gown and making sure it was securely closed before following Dr. Tofu out the door.

A few minutes later, back in his own room, Ranma was sighing in relief as he finished garbing himself. "Finally!" He exclaimed, heading for the door. Only to find Akane standing there, about to open the door when he opened it himself. "Akane!" Ranma exclaimed, surprised.

"Ranma!" Akane yelled at the same time, just as surprised as her fiancee. Taking a second to calm herself down, Akane smiled. "Are you ready to go? Dr. Tofu said that he'd already filled out the paper work and you can go at any time." She said.

Ranma grinned in relief. "Yeah, lets get outta here!" He exclaimed, grabbing Akane by the hand and rushing for the elevator, glancing around to make sure Dr. Hojo wasn't anywhere to be seen.

As the two cleared the elevator doors on the ground floor, Ranma eagerly tugged on Akane's hand, heading for the front doors. "Come back soon honey buns!" One nurse called out cheekily, while the others with her laughed.

Before Akane could ask, Ranma sprinted out the doors and quickly fled the parking lot, hopping up onto the chainlink fence that he was now walking on.

-end flashback-

Ranma shuddered at the memory. "Trust me Akane, ya REALLY don't wanna know." He replied, taking a deep breath.

Akane huffed, slightly annoyed. Was it really that hard for him to answer a simple question? And what were those nurses yelling about anyway? "Whatever." She replied, looking away."So, are you ready to go home? Kasumi is making a big meal, with a bunch of your favorites."

Ranma looked down at Akane, scratching the bridge of his nose as he stopped and crouched down. "Actually, I was wonderin' somethin'..." He replied.

Akane looked up at Ranma, tilting her head to one side. "What is it?" She asked, confused.

"Well..." Ranma looked away, rubbing the back of his head. "I was wonderin' if... y'know, as thanks for everything, ya'd like ta go get some ice cream? My treat?" He offered, a small blush spreading across his face.

Akane blinked, then blinked again, trying to process the information. Did Ranma just ask her out on a date? And offer to pay?! Looking a little closer at his face, Akane realized that he was being sincere!

"What?" Ranma grumbled, embarrassed.

"Sure Ranma, I'd love to!" Akane beamed, her wide smile lighting up her face, causing Ranma to blush a bit more as he leapt off of the fence and landed lightly beside her.

Before the two could start for the ice cream parlor though, Happosai rounded a corner, spotting his pupil. "Hey!" He called out, waving as he hopped over to them, landing on the fence.

"Old man?" Ranma blinked a few times, confused.

"And what are you doing here?" Akane asked dangerously, her aura flickering to life as she glared at the Grandmaster, fearing that her date with Ranma would be ruined before it could begin.

Happosai pulled his pipe and struck it up, puffing a few times. "Why, I'm just taking a stroll, dear Akane!" He replied. "Though, since I've found the two of you, there is one thing..." He trailed off.

"Really? What is it old man?" Ranma asked, confused, only to find himself suddenly drenched without warning, instantly changing genders.

"SWEETO!" Happosai crowed happily, throwing away the pail he'd pulled from subspace and leaping forward, glomping onto Ranma's breasts and nuzzling in with a sigh of contentment. "Oh wonderful gifts from the Kami, how I've missed you two!" He went on, rubbing his face against them.

"GAH! YOU OLD LECH!" Ranma screamed, her high soprano voice echoing as she called forth all of her feminine fury and brutally slapped the old man down off of her chest.

"Wha ha ha ha! You call that a slap? I've felt babies hit harder than that!" Happosai crowed, bouncing off of the ground and landing in a ready stance a few yards away.

"'wha ha ha ha? Wha ha ha ha?! I'LL WHA HA HA HA YOU YA DAMN PERVERTED GNOME!" Ranma roared, her aura flaring to life around her. "IRON BODY!" Ranma screamed, her aura beginning to pull in and condense into a visible blue sheet before sinking into her body, which suddenly strained taut with the tension running through it. "I'm gonna pound ya into a pervert pancake!" She charged towards Happosai, swinging a punch that he caught, though his eyes widened at the strength behind the blow, which was around a quarter of Ranma's normal strength before he'd been hit with the ultimate weakness technique.

"Impressive boy! It seems that you did more than just talk to your grandfather in Heaven!" Happosai remarked, instantly transferring the force, using it to swing Ranma around into a wall, where she made a slight impression in the brick. "Are you sure you should be using that so soon after getting out of the hospital though? Surely that coot told you the drawbacks to that move." Having said his peace, Happosai puffed on his pipe, watching as Ranma peeled away from the wall before falling over.

"Happosai you pervert!" Akane yelled, stepping up behind the gnome and punting him into LEO before he could react. "I swear, he never stops!" She huffed, walking over to Ranma and helping her to her feet. "Are you alright Ranma?" Akane asked, a small bit of concern in her voice.

Ranma grinned ruefully. "Sorry 'bout that Akane, I didn't expect the old pervert ta pull anything like that this soon. Thanks for kickin' his ass." She said gratefully.

Akane beamed at the praise. "It's no problem Ranma. Are you still up for ice cream?" She asked hopefully.

Ranma looked down at her body. "Like this?" She asked, seeing Akane's hesitant, hopeful nod. "I'm always up for ice cream!" She exclaimed, marching in the direction of the ice cream parlor.

"You baka." Akane giggled, following alongside Ranma, a smile on her face.

* * *

A few moments later, a cab pulled up to the hospital and Nodoka leapt out, tossing some money back at the driver before rushing up the steps and bursting through the front doors, making a bee-line fore the front desk. "Please, what room is my son Ranma in?!" She asked frantically.

The nurse looked up, surprised. "Mrs. Saotome?" She asked.

Nodoka nodded. "Yes, that is me. Are you the nurse that I spoke to on the phone.?" She asked.

Haruka nodded. "Yeah, that was me! Hold on a sec..." She began to flip through a chart, only to start in surprise. "Nani?!" She exclaimed. "Karin, when did Dr. Tofu sign Ranma Saotome out?!" She asked a near-by nurse.

Karin, the nurse in question, looked up from her work. "Oh, that young guy with the REALLY cute butt and great body? I think Doc Tofu signed him out while you were on break." She replied.

Haruka's eyebrow twitched. "Were you checking out patient Saotome while he was being examined?" She asked heatedly.

Karin grinned embarrassedly, rubbing the back of her head. "Weeell... Me and a few of the other nurses miiight have... 'checked'... in on them when he was being examined." She admitted sheepishly.

"Oh, you mean that guy with the cute butt?" Another of the nurses, who had been pouring over some charts asked, looking up.

Haruka slapped herself on the forehead, groaning at the blatant unprofessionalism that her coworkers were showing. "I'm REALLY sorry about this Mrs. Saotome. If it's any help, I can take you to Dr. Tofu, who knows your son really well- Maybe he can tell you where he's at." She offered.

"That would be nice, thank you." Nodoka nodded, following behind Haruka as they set off in search of Tofu. _'Oh my, Ranma must be so manly to get so many nurses so hot and bothered.'_ She thought to herself as they walked through the halls.

* * *

"ACHOO!" Ranma suddenly sneezed loudly, startling everyone around her and almost dropping her ice cream.

"Ranma! Are you alright?" Akane asked, setting her own sundae down on the table they'd chosen.

"Yeah." Ranma nodded, wiping her nose as she set her ice cream down and sat down in the seat. "Someone must be talkin' about me, and it'd better not be that pervert over there." She growled, throwing a heated glare at the server.

Akane giggled as she scooped out a spoonful of ice cream. "Yeah, but at least we got an extra scoop for free!" She replied with a laugh at her fiancé turned fiancee's predicament.

"Yeah, but he kept lookin' at my boobs!" Ranma growled, feeling disgusted.

Akane snickered again. "Just eat your ice cream." She replied.

Ranma grumbled some more, but dug in without any more protest, enjoying her frozen treat despite her annoyance.

* * *

"Ahhh, that was good!" Ranma exclaimed happily, walking out of the shop, her anger forgotten.

"Yeah, thanks for the ice cream Ranma!" Akane replied happily as she stepped out onto the sidewalk.

Ranma grinned in return. "Ah, except for that perv, it wasn't a problem Akane." She replied. "So, think we should be-" Suddenly she stopped, freezing solid as a familiar, maniacal laugh echoed through the area. "Oh no." She groaned, palming her face.

"Kunos!" Akane hissed as Kodachi landed on the sidewalk in front of them, Kuno settling down just behind her with a thump, tied up in the ribbon that Kodachi was holding, his arms and legs crossed as he observed the scene cooly.

"Hey Kuno, what're you doin' back there?!" Ranma called out, looking at the tied-up kendoist.

Kuno turned his gaze to Ranma, then looked away, pained. "Paralysis powder." He managed to croak out.

Kodachi snapped her ribbon loose. "Brother dearest told me something most unbelievable, and I had to come see for myself!" She exclaimed, snapping her ribbon towards Ranma, who kicked a trash can in the way, stopping it. "Oh yeah, what's that?" She asked, feeling nervous.

Kodachi's eyes narrowed. "That you, pig-tailed girl, are in fact my Ranma darling!" She yelled, snapping her ribbon again, catching hold of a hot water kettle that she'd set in her brother's lap earlier, ignoring his whimpers of pain. Dashing some of the water, her eyes widened as she watched the transformation happen, and Ranma became male again. "So it's true?!" She gasped, covering her mouth.

Ranma scratched the back of his head as Kodachi grabbed a pail of cold water and, putting her hand on his chest, poured some over him, triggering his transformation again. "Yeah, sorry 'bout this." She said sheepishly as Kodachi then poured some more hot water on her, transforming her into a guy again.

"Kodachi?" Akane asked, a little worried, as Kodachi hung her head. Stepping forward, she placed her hand on the slightly smaller girl's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Suddenly, Kodachi's head snapped back up, and she started to laugh, scaring both Ranma and Akane, who jumped back. "Oh joyful day of days!" Kodachi sang, spinning around. "Truly Ranma is the one for me, he can satisfy all of my needs!" She exclaimed, stopping and pointing at Ranma. "Oh Ranma darling! Who knew that you would be not only the man for me, but the woman for me as well?!" She asked, snapping her ribbon back, ensnaring her brother. "Fear not, my beloved pig-tailed man-goddess! I shall return when I am prepared, and claim you for my own!" With another laugh, she sprang away, pulling her brother behind her as she departed, leaving a trail of black rose petals in her wake.

"I'm going to be siiick!" Kuno wailed as he and his sister disappeared in the distance.

Akane and Ranma were both sweat-dropping as the duo disappeared. "Oh..." Akane started.

"...Damn..." Ranma finished, feeling dread tickle up and down his spine.

"... Lets just forget that this happened, and go home, where Kasumi has a nice, big, hot meal waiting for us." Akane suggested, getting a mute nod from Ranma.

Quickly the two made their way home, remembering Kodachi's last words with shudders. "We're home!" Ranma called out as they entered the front door, swapping their shoes out for house slippers. Stepping up, Ranma made his way for the family room, opening the door and coming face to face with an older woman wearing a traditional kimono, her face framed with auburn hair. "Oh! Excuse me!" Ranma exclaimed, seeing the shocked expression on the woman's face, as well as Genma, in his cursed form, huddling in a corner, shaking in terror.

Nodoka, her mind reeling in shock, looked Ranma up and down once before flinging her arms around his neck in a tight hug. "Oh, Ranma! My son!" She cried out happily, sobbing into his chest.

"Muh-mom?!" Ranma gasped in surprise, his mind threatening to shut down as Akane stood just behind him, her eyes wide.

"Oh my." Kasumi said, covering her mouth with one hand.

"You can say that again." Soun replied mildly, sipping some tea.

Nabiki smirked. "Just another day in Nerima." She said.

**-TBC-**

A/N– Uh-oh! Kodachi's on the loose, and Ranma just met his mother! Tell me what you think please!


	8. Chapter 8 A Mother's Love

A/N– Heh, well, it seems that my last chapter, which, while it was shorter than the last couple by a good thousand words, was quite surprising and entertaining! ^^ Plus, I've gotta say, it was definitely one of my absolute favorites to write, with the humor- I mean, c'mon, 'pig-tailed man-goddess'? Who doesn't like that?!

Also, to my super fun yet cheesy Final Fantasy 7 reference, yes, I won't apologize for it, 'cuz it was great! ^^ I've actually put in a few like that, though the only one I've given a hint to was back in chapter 4- The scene where Ukyo is standing there, looking up at the hospital while gripping the hilt of her giant spatula came directly from the cover (and one of the most popular images) of FF7, where Cloud is standing at the base of Shinra's headquarters, looking up while gripping the handle of the Buster Sword.

Anyway, on to the disclaimer! Well... I'm not short, or Asian, and I'm definitely NOT an older woman, nor am I an international entertainment company, so... Nope, I don't own Ranma ½!

**-Chapter 8-**

**-A Mother's Love-**

Akane stood behind Ranma in the hallway, observing the scene before her with no small amount of surprise. Standing in the doorway to the family room was her fiancé, in the embrace of another, older woman, a look of complete and utter shock plain on his face as the woman cried into his chest. Normally, she would be feeling jealousy at such a scene, and she had several times before when Ranma had been glomped by Shampoo, but this time.... She blinked in surprise again, and she was still there, holding onto him- his mother. "Ranma?" She asked, tentatively reaching up and placing one of her hands on his back.

"Mom... is that really you?" Ranma asked quietly. Gulping, he looked down, taking in the sight of Nodoka's auburn-colored hair, unable to see her face, which was buried into his chest as she cried. Uncertain, Ranma reached up, slowly wrapping his arms around her shoulders in a light embrace.

Her breath hitching, Nodoka finally looked up, tears of joy tracking down her cheeks. "Oh, my son, it is so good to see you again!" She exclaimed happily. Reaching up, she placed her hands on his face, tracing his contours with her fingers. "You've grown up to be such a handsome young man! When that nurse called and told me what had happened, I was so worried, but look at you! You look like nothing has happened to you! And what you did to save your fiancee, oh my son is so manly!." She went on, pulling Ranma into another hug that made Shampoo's seem like nothing in comparison.

Blinking a few times, Ranma realized that it wasn't a dream. His mom was really here, and she was hugging him! "Mom!" He exclaimed, a huge grin plastering his face as he returned the tight hug. "Where have ya been all these years?!" He asked.

Nodoka, slightly confused by the question, looked up at her son. "What do you me- eek!" She cried out in surprise as Genma, who had gone unnoticed, snuck up behind her and lifted her up, using one foot to kick Ranma back into Akane's arms, causing them to both fall over with yells of shock as he set Nodoka off to the side and dashed into the hall, grabbing the still-stunned Ranma by the collar of his shirt and took off, running as fast as his panda legs could carry him, heading for the dojo. Reaching it, he threw Ranma in, then shut the door behind them, listening for any sounds, then going over to Ranma once her discerned that no one had followed them.

"Old man! What the hell did'ja do that for?!" Ranma snarled, leaping to his feet and taking a fighting stance.

Scribbling quickly, the panda held up a sign. 'OUR LIVES ARE IN DANGER BOY!' the sign practically screamed.

"What the hell are ya talkin' about old man? You better have a good reason for takin' me away from mom like that, and if I don't like what ya have ta say, I'm gonna have ta hurt ya!" Ranma growled, advancing forward.

Flipping the sign over, the panda began to write, then flipped it up for Ranma to read. 'When you were a little boy, just four years old, I made plans to take you on a trip to make you the greatest martial artist ever-' Then the panda grabbed another sign, as that one was full, and began to write again. '-In order to get your mother to agree, I had to come up with and sign an honor contract that said that I would make you a man among men, and, after I signed it, I had you put your hand print on it as well-' flip '-and I had been doing well to keep the promise, but then we went to the cursed springs, and now you are cursed to become a girl! If your mother finds out, we'll have to commit Seppiku for certain!' The man-turned-panda shuddered, imagining himself and Ranma, dressed in formal attire, holding blades to their bellies while Nodoka stood over them, her katana in hand to be their second.

"Is that what this is all about?!" Ranma shot back, his anger flaring. "It's yer fault that I turn into a girl in the first place ya old fool!" He turned his back on his father, crossing his arms over his chest in a huff. "Besides, I already know about the Seppiku pledge..." He looked over his shoulder at Genma, shooting him an icy stare. "When I was out, I met the spirit of grandpa Genryu, and he told me about everything. There's no way I'm gonna let you stand between me and seein' my mom again after twelve years of bein' apart, so ya can just get over it." He snapped.

Genma's eyes widened at what the boy said- He'd seen the spirit of his grandfather?! How was that possible? Deciding that this wasn't the best time to ponder it, because it could be figured out later, and right now there was the very real danger to their lives just a few rooms away, the panda growfed, holding up another sign. 'I'm afraid I cannot take that chance boy. It's obvious what must be done- I'm going to knock you out, then I'm going to get you out of here. We'll go on another training journey.' The sign read before Genma tossed it away and jumped at Ranma, swinging a paw at the back of his head.

Hey! What are ya doin' ya old fool?!" Ranma cried out, dodging out of the way at the last second and retaliating with a kick to Genma's stomach that didn't do any damage, due to his weakened state, but gave Ranma the leverage needed to leap away, landing a good distance away from Genma. "You really don't wanna do this pop." Ranma growled dangerously. Looking up, he spotted something, a cocky grin spreading across his face as he let his guard down. "Hey, pops?"

Genma, confused by Ranma's sudden lack of stance, felt a creeping dread- What was the boy doing? 'What? Have you given up?' Asked a sign that he held up.

Ranma's smirk grew. "Nah, I figured that I won't need ta do anything to ya, since Akane's about ta turn ya into panda puddin'." He replied.

Genma felt a shiver of fear crawl down his spine as he began to frightfully turn his head, already starting to hunker down. There, standing in the doorway to the dojo was Akane, an angry red aura blazing around her and a look in her eyes that practically screamed murder. "Genma you idiot! You knocked Ranma into me!" She yelled, bringing a huge mallet down on his head with all of her righteous fury, instantly crumpling Genma to the floor, where he moaned in pain. "Genma, prepare to die!" With that, she started to kick him in the ribs before smacking him with the mallet again. After a few moments, she finally stopped, wiping her forehead with the back of one hand. "That'll teach you to mess with me!" She huffed, turning away and walking out of the dojo, leaving an unconscious panda-man laying on the floor.

Ranma snickered, toeing Genma with one foot. "You should know not ta piss Akane off pops. At least it wasn't me this time." He said, then left the dojo, following Akane's lead. Catching up to her, he reached out, grabbing Akane by her left hand. "Hey Akane, wait up! Are ya ok?" He asked.

Akane shot a glare at Ranma as he came up beside her, though didn't pull her hand away. "Are you saying that I'm weak Ranma?" She growled, still angry.

Ranma shook his head quickly. "Naw, that's not what I'm tryin' ta say at all! Ya gave the old fool what he deserved! I'm just wonderin' if you are ok from when pops kicked me into ya is all." He replied quickly.

Akane let her anger slide, sighing before she graced Ranma with a light smile. "Yes, I'm alright. I feel better now that I taught your father a lesson." She said. "How about you though? Are you alright? It must be a huge shock, meeting your mother like this. What are you going to do?" She asked.

Ranma shook his head. "I don't really know Akane. I found out she was still alive when I talked to your mom and my gramps in Heaven- They were the ones that told me about her, and-" He stopped.

"And what? What is it Ranma?" Akane prompted, confused.

Ranma scratched the back of his head. "Well, y'see akane, the thing is, when pops took me on the trainin' journey, he promised mom that if he didn't make me a man among men, he and I'd both commit Seppiku, and put his thumb-print and my hand-print on a paper that decreed it..." He admitted.

Akane gasped in shock, placing her hands over her mouth. "What sort of parents could do such a thing?!" She asked.

Ranma grinned wryly. "Apparently mine." He replied.

Akane shook her head. "How can you be calm about such a thing? Your curse turns you into a girl! I-I-" She looked away, sniffling.

"Akane?" Ranma asked.

Akane looked back to him, unshed tears in her eyes. "I don't want to loose you after we just admitted that we've got feelings for each-other! I couldn't stand it! Ranma, we've got to do something!" She cried out, latching on to him with a hug that made his ribs creak.

Taken by surprise, Ranma returned Akane's embrace. "Akane, ya don't have nothin' ta worry about, I swear! I've already thought about what I was gonna do when I finally met mom, and I've got a plan. Don't worry, if I'm right, and if yer mom and my gramps were right, then there shouldn't be a problem." He stated confidently.

Akane couldn't help but smile, taken by Ranma's display of confidence. "Alright, I'll trust you." She said softly, then looked down, seeing that they were hugging. With a squeak of surprise, Akane jumped back, her face red. "I'm sorry!" She apologized.

Ranma, while surprised as well, realized that the hug had actually been... Enjoyable! "Heh, it's ok Akane. Just go into the family room, I'll be there in a minute." He said.

"Okay." Akane agreed, heading for the family room while Ranma turned away and started down the hall, heading for the kitchen. Wondering what Ranma was going to do, Akane walked into the family room, noticing that her father, Kasumi, and Ranma's mother were sitting around the table, drinking tea, and Nabiki was watching the latest financial reports on the news. "Can I have some tea?" She asked, sitting down.

Kasumi smiled angelically. "Yes Akane, you may." She said, preparing a cup for her little sister.

Nodoka's eyebrows twitched in surprise from behind her cup, which she lowered to inspect the girl before her. "So you are my son's fiancee?" She asked.

Akane blushed a bit, but smiled. "Yes, I'm Akane. What is your name?" She asked politely, with a small bow of her head.

Nodoka smiled at the girl's politeness. "My name is Nodoka," She replied, pleased. "So, where is my son and that panda? Is everything alright?" She asked.

Akane nodded, her aura flickering at the mention of Genma. "Yes, everything is ok now. Ranma should be back in just a second." She replied.

No sooner did the words come from Akane, when the door to the family room slid open, and Ranma stepped in, carrying two cups in his hands. "Hey, sorry that I took so long." He apologized, walking over to the table.

"Son!" Nodoka said happily. "I was just getting to know your fiancee a little better. She is a very nice girl." She complimented warmly.

Ranma and Akane both blushed at that as Ranma sat down beside her, across from Nodoka. "Hey, it's really nice to see ya again mom." He remarked, his voice low.

Nodoka beamed at that. "Ranma, you don't know how much I've missed you! Have you been well?" She asked.

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, I've been alright mom. There's somethin' I really need ta talk to ya about though, an' I think it'd be best if we did this now." He replied.

Nodoka tilted her head to the side, confused. "Is everything alright son?" She asked quietly.

"I-" Ranma took a deep breath. "I know about the honor pledge." He finally said evenly.

"Oh my." Nodoka said, covering her mouth with one hand.

"Honor pledge?" Soun asked from the head of the table, confused.

Ranma nodded grimly. "Yeah, the honor pledge that I'd become a man among men, or I'd have ta commit seppiku." He replied, earning gasps from Soun and Kasumi, and a raised eyebrow from Nabiki, all of them understanding the implications. "Mom, were ya serious about the pledge when ya had us make it?" He asked.

"Why do you ask son?" Nodoka asked, feeling dread welling up within her.

"Well..." Ranma started. "I've always been raised ta be a man by pops, and we've traveled for as long as I can remember from one place ta the next, an' I've always tried ta be the best man that I can be, but a coupla months ago, while in China, pops did somethin' stupid, and we both wound up gettin' cursed." He explained.

Nodoka's eyebrows furrowed at this. "A curse?" She asked, confused.

Ranma nodded, picking up the cold water. "Wait! Don't do it Ranma!" Akane cried out, trying to grab his hand.

"I've gotta Akane, she deserves ta know!" Ranma said grimly, upending some of the cold water over his head, triggering the curse.

"Ruh-Ranma?!" Nodoka whispered in shock, watching as her son turned into a beautiful young woman with bright red hair in front of her eyes.

Ranma nodded. "Yeah mom, it's me. When we were in China, pops took me ta the legendary cursed training grounds of the Springs of Jusenkyo, where there are a bunch of pools, each one carrying a curse left by something that drowned there, and I happened ta fall into the spring of drowned girl. So now, whenever I get splashed with cold water, I turn into a girl, but-" stopping, she poured some water from the other cup over her head, triggering the change again. "-Warm water reverses it again, and I turn back into a guy." He explained.

"Amazing, I never knew such things could exist." Nodoka breathed, astounded by it all.

Ranma nodded. "I'll understand if ya don't wanna see me any more after this, but, before ya decide if I'm manly or not, I just want ya ta think about this- Would it have been manly for me ta hide the curse from ya, until ya found out when I accidentally got splashed? 'Cuz the way I figure, it's not manly or honorable ta keep a secret like that." He said.

Nodoka teared up. "Oh, my son..." Standing up, she quickly walked around the table to where Ranma was sitting, lowering herself down beside him and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "I don't care if you are cursed or not, you are still my child, and I love you, no matter what." She said quietly, a gentle smile on her face.

Closing his eyes, Ranma leaned into the hug, oblivious of everything but Nodoka. "But what about the pledge?" He asked.

Nodoka couldn't help but giggle a little. "Your father isn't exactly the brightest person around, and I thought that getting him to agree to it would help to make sure that he kept in line and raise you right, since he seemed so adamant about going on the trip. I never intended to really hold you to it." She explained.

Ranma pulled back, his eyes wide in surprise. "So there ain't gonna be any Seppiku?" He asked hopefully.

Nodoka shook her head. "No son, you won't have to worry about anything like that, I promise."

Ranma pulled his mom into a tight hug. "Thanks a lot mom, I love you." He said, liking the feeling.

Nodoka patted Ranma's back as she returned the hug, her eyes shining. "I love you too, son."

Ranma sighed happily, though was surprised when he heard a sniffle. Looking up, startled, he saw Akane and Kasumi dabbing at their eyes with napkins, while Soun was going with the full water-works, and... Ranma's eyes widend- Did he just see Nabiki turn her head away and wipe at her eyes?! "H-hey, what's goin' on here?" He asked defensively.

"Oh, isn't it just one of the nicest things you've ever seen Akane?" Kasumi asked sweetly, wiping away some more tears, while Akane nodded, still too choked up to say anything.

"Oh son, I'm so happy for you!" Soun exclaimed, rushing over and patting Ranma on the back while covering his eyes with his other arm.

"Geez, what're ya gettin' so worked up for?" Ranma grumbled, feeling suddenly vunerable and uncomfortable, two things that he didn't like feeling at all.

"Ranma" Nodoka interrupted. "Where is your father anyway? I haven't seen him anywhere at all."

Ranma, distracted, turned to his mom and smirked. "Well, ya remember that panda?" He asked.

Nodoka's eyes widened. "Your father is cursed to turn into a panda?" She asked, putting two and two together.

Ranma nodded. "Yup, that was him!" He replied.

Nodoka shook her head. "Of all the things for him to turn into..." Reaching over for her cup, she took a nice, long sip. "So, tell me of your training journey son." She prompted.

Ranma raised an eyebrow, but decided to humor his mother. "Well, just so ya know, ya probably arn't gonna like everything ya hear..." He started.

* * *

Genma groaned as he finally woke, feeling like the world was spinning for a few moments before he finally managed to sit up. '_That girl is waaay too violent.' _He thought to himself as he got up, stretching. Turning around, he spotted the clock and saw that he'd been out for a few hours. Wondering if dinner was ready. Genma waddled over to the dojo's door and opened it, only to find himself face to face with his wife. _'Uh-oh, No-chan looks pissed!' _He thought, seeing the all too familiar look of anger smouldering in her eyes.

"Why hello there husband dear, you and I have a lot to talk about, and I don't think you are going to like it." Nodoka said, her soft voice as smooth as velvet as she stepped into the dojo, an eerie, empty smile on her face.

Genma gulped. "Growf?" He seemed to ask, playing innocent.

Nodoka's smile never waivered. "Oh Genma, don't play around. My son told me everything, and I mean EVERYTHING." She said sweetly, pulling a tea-kettle from behind her back and pouring scalding hot water over the panda's head, instantly transforming him back as he let out a yelp of pain, falling over on his rear.

"N-Now No-chan, just let me explain-" Genma started, backing up.

Nodoka quirked an eyebrow. "Explain? EXPLAIN?! How about you 'explain' to me why my son is cursed, or what in the hell possessed you to throw him into a pit of starving cats!" She snarled, stalking forward as she pushed back the sleeves of her kimono.

As Nodoka loomed over him, Genma's girlish screams cut through the evening air.

* * *

On the other side of the dojo's door, Ranma and Akane held glasses to their ears, snickering as they listened to Genma's shrieks of pain. Without warning, a loud thud was heard, and a Genma-shaped indention appeared on the dojo wall beside the door, causing both teens to start laughing.

As they quietly crept away, Ranma looked over to Akane, grinning. "I guess the old man's finally gettin' what's been comin' to him." He said with a chuckle.

Akane giggled, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, your right about that!" She exclaimed with mirth. As they stepped outside, Akane looked around, then reached out and grabbed Ranma by the arm. "Ranma?" She asked, her voice low.

"Yeah Akane?" He asked, confused, as he started to turn, only to be caught completely off guard as Akane leaned towards him, quickly pressing her lips against his, causing Ranma's pig-tail to stand straight up.

The kiss was tentative and only lasted for a second before she pulled away, but it was pleasant all the same. "I'm glad that you don't have to kill yourself." Akane said quietly before rushing off, her face as bright as a tomato.

Ranma's own face was flaming as he reached up, touching where Akane had kissed him. "Damn.... I could definitely get used ta that..." He mused to himself, a cheesy grin spreading. "It's a lot more fun than gettin' malleted after all!"

**-TBC-**

A/N- Well, another chapter done, with a few nice fluffy scenes thrown in to help Ranma and Akane's relationship along, though things arn't always going to be this easy, and they've still got a long way to go! ^^ Please tell me what you think in a review!


	9. Chapter 9 A Reversal of Fate

A/N– Whoa! Y'know, I was honestly worried that my last chapter wouldn't be that well-received, but I was proven wrong by the overwhelmingly positive reviews that I got! ^^ Thank you all who enjoy my story, it's because of you that I feel the desire to continue writing! ^^u And, I'm sorry for what spelling mistakes are there.

Disclaimer- ummm... Y'know, I really don't think I own Ranma ½. I mean, in some alternate dimension I probably do, since it's an alternate dimension and all, but as for this reality, I don't own Ranma ½, and I'm pretty sure that I never will.

**-Chapter 9-**

**-A Reversal of Fate-**

Cologne sighed, having shut down the restaurant for the day and sat down, pondering the events that had transpired to bring everything that she and her great-granddaughter, Shampoo, had been working towards down on their heads so quickly- Namely, the loss of the possibility of Shampoo winning the heart of one Ranma Saotome and bringing him back to the tribe as her husband. However, with the vision that Cologne and the other elders had received, it was deemed far too dangerous for Shampoo to continue with her ill-fated pursuit of her hoped-for husband to be, lest their tribe be annihilated. Indeed, it was agreed that there should not even be made an attempt on the young martial artists life, in case that in itself was what would set off the terrible cascade of cataclysmic events that would lead to their downfall by his hand. At the very least, she thought with a rueful grin, when she had last seen Ranma in the hospital a week ago, she'd gotten him to agree to allowing them to send a band of their young amazon maidens when his son, if he had one, turned 16. "Suave, is Shampoo back yet?" She called out to her grandson, who was wiping down the tables while Mousse washed the dishes.

Suave looked up from the table he'd been working on, his sun-glasses glinting in the artificial café light. He was a fairly short man with a medium build, wearing all black, seeming nonthreatening, yet his every movement showing his years of training. "No, my daughter hasn't returned from the last of today's deliveries yet." He replied, looking over the counter towards his grandmother-in-law. "Grandmother, why have we yet to return to China? Surely, since the council has overridden the kiss law concerning Shampoo, we don't have any further reason to be here, do we? The only thing that staying here is doing is causing my daughter heart-ache." He said.

Cologne sighed, rubbing her temples, having already had this argument with Mousse earlier in the week. "Suave, I know that Shampoo is heart-broken right now, but the possibility of having so-I mean, Ranma, not only allied to our village, but allied to our family, is too great of an opportunity for us to turn our backs on. He has asked us to stay for a while yet, and I refuse to risk ruining relations between the Saotome boy and our tribe for anything, even Shampoo's feelings, no matter how much it pains me." She replied, her voice soft but firm, brokering no argument.

Suave removed his sunglasses to clean them. "What is so special about that boy anyway? I've seen him fight before, and while I admit he is good, maybe the best of his age even, he is not on par with either myself or you! If there is something about him that would convince the entire council to drop Shampoo's claim on him, would it not be better to remove the boy entirely? I could easily hunt him down and kill him!" He shot back, still angry at the pain the foolish boy had caused his precious daughter.

"Suave, know your place!" Cologne snapped, showing anger, yet feeling a bit of fear at what he'd suggested. "You are to not argue with me or any of the council on this, we have more than enough reason to leave the boy be. Suffice to say, it would be in all of our best interests to not go after the boy for vengeance. What we are doing now is for the best." She explained.

Suave sighed, pounding his fist on the table he'd been working on in frustration. "I'll be out back, training." He huffed, heading through the back door of the restaurant.

Cologne shook her head as the sound of things breaking started up in the back, pulling out one of her many sacks of jewelry and dumping it out on a table, settling down with a small bottle and a cleaning rag- cleaning her jewelry was one of Cologne's small comforts that she indulged in whenever she was feeling aggravated, it helped to calm her down.

A few moments later, a dinging bell could be heard, and Shampoo entered the restaurant, her eyes downcast. "Ah! Hello Shampoo, did the deliveries go well?" Cologne asked, pouring some cleaner on a jewel in her hand before going at it with the rag.

Shampoo sighed. "Yes Grandmother." She replied quietly, walking passed, only to spot the jewelry spread out across the table. "Aiyaa..." She breathed, her eyes lighting up. "What pretty jewel!"

Cologne looked up in surprise, this being the first time since the fiasco that Shampoo had expressed interest in anything. "I wore these when I was a young girl." She explained, shaking the bottle of cleaner and finding it, to her annoyance, empty. Hopping up on her cane, Cologne headed for the back. "If you wish, you may have one of them." She called out over her shoulder.

Shampoo smiled briefly. "Thank you Grandmother!" She exclaimed as a small box caught her eye. "What is box?" She asked to herself, picking it up and finding a small clasp on it. "Box is lock!" She cursed, applying enough pressure to break the lock. Reaching in, she pulled out what was inside, letting the box fall to the ground. "Ah! Brooch!" She said happily, holding it up to inspect it in the light before pinning it to the collar of her blouse.

* * *

Ranma closed his eyes and exhaled as he pulled himself together, standing perfectly still on the middle of the dojo floor, his hands held at his sides and his stance easy. Then, in a flash, his eyes snapped open, and his left elbow snapped out, followed by a reverse spin-kick, going into a flurry of punches before he kicked off, sailing high into the air, where he continued to flow through one of the Saotome style's unique mid-air katas, each blow seeming to help keep him in the air as he seamlessly flowed from the first into the second, going through each kata that had been drilled into him by his father for as long as he could remember. Finally, after what seemed like minutes, Ranma flipped around a few times, landing lightly on the floor and pulling himself back up, in the same stance and position that he'd been when he'd started.

Without warning, clapping started from just behind Ranma, startling him and causing him to whirl around, finding his father, Akane, his mother, and Soun all sitting there, still clapping at his performance. "Hey, what the heck is goin' on here?!" He exclaimed, embarrassed.

His father, who was currently in his panda form, held up a sign. 'I decided to check up on your training boy, to see if you were really training as hard as you could, and the others wanted to tag along.' It read.

Nodoka smiled, nodding in agreement. "Yes, that was a very manly display of your hard work and dedication son! I am very proud!" She said, a beaming smile on her face.

Ranma's blush deepened as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it wasn't nothin' really, just some of the basic katas of the school..." He replied, looking away.

Soun nodded, frowning. "Yes, but I noticed that there was absolutely no power behind the attacks you were throwing. Is the masters insidious technique still affecting you that much?" He asked with concern, fearing for the future of the schools.

Ranma blinked at that. "Huh? Whadda ya talkin' about Mr. Tendo? Of course I'm still under the effect of the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion. It's only been a little while ago that he hit me with it ya know." He grumbled, annoyed at being reminded of just how weak he was.

'But more importantly, why were your techniques so slow?' Asked a sign that Genma held up, surprising everyone.

"What do you mean Mr. Saotome?" Akane asked, confused

The panda growfed in response, quickly scribbling out another sign. 'I've been with the boy longer than anyone, and know how fast he is- He wasn't going at even a quarter of his real speed right there.' The sign read, causing everyone's eyebrows to shoot up.

"Ranma?" Akane asked, looking back towards her fiancé, who was shooting Genma an annoyed glare. "Feh, trust pop ta sense somethin' like that." He said with a sigh.

Nodoka frowned at this. "What are you talking about son?" She asked.

Ranma sighed again as he began to undo the ties on his shirt, then pulled it off with a flourish, revealing an odd contraption over his underclothes, consisting of metal bands that ran over his arms and body to pieces of metal that were strapped to his chest and joints. "It's 'cuz I'm wearin' this." He said, annoyed that his secret was out in the open.

Akane blinked in surprise at the familiar-looking contraption. "Hey Ranma, isn't that the device you wore while you were training in the Hiryu-Shoten-Ha?" She asked.

Ranma shook his head in the negative. "Nah, this is somethin' I got ta help me train an' get my strength back up." He replied. "It's kinda like a spring, resistin' bein' pulled apart, and pullin' back against any strain put against it, so every time I move or anythin' like that, it's resistin', makin' me have ta push harder, and work my muscles more. With it's current settin', I've already managed ta work myself up ta about the strength of a little kid." He explained.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you son, working so hard to become strong again for your fiancee! The two of you can be married soon!" Soun exclaimed, rushing over and patting Ranma on the back so hard that he knocked him over on his face.

"DAD!" Akane fumed, seeming to tower above Soun, giving him a cold glare that had the older martial artist cowering in a corner, crying about how his little girl was glaring at him.

"Son, where did you get it from?" Nodoka asked the question that was on all of their minds, intrigued.

Ranma glanced away. "I dun' wanna say..." He grumbled, unable to look at his mother due to the fact that he found it hard to keep anything from her.

"Ranma?" Akane asked, reaching for him.

"Woohoo! Wotta haul!" Without warning, the door to the dojo slid open and Happosai burst into the room, bouncing onto Genma's head and forcing him to the ground before he leapt away, a huge sack of girls underwear slung over his shoulders. "Ranma m'boy, I got another piece of training equipment for you!" He exclaimed, landing in front of the pig-tailed teen.

'What? You got that for Ranma?! Why didn't you ever get any cool training equipment like that for us when we were younger?!' Complained a sign that Genma held up as he got back to his feet, taking a swipe at Happosai's back.

Happosai jumped over the attack, slamming into Genma's head again, knocking the panda back to the ground, using him as a seat. "It's because neither of you fools were my true heir." He said with contempt, lighting his pipe.

"You!" Nodoka exclaimed, drawing her ever-present katana with a menacing hiss. "Remove that despicable mark from my son at this moment! Give him his strength back!" She demanded, bringing the sword to bear.

Upon hearing the voice, Happosai whirled around in surprise. "No-chan, is that you? It's been ages!" He said, looking her up and down, though keeping a careful eye on the katana.

"Change him back!" Nodoka demanded again, poking forward menacingly with the katana.

A gleam came to Happosai's eye. "Oh, I intend to change him alright..." He said with a menacing chuckle, whirling around and pulling a bottle of water that he flung over Ranma, instantly triggering the curse. "SWEETO!" The diminutive pervert yelled, leaping forward and glomping onto Ranma-chan's breasts, giving them a squeeze.

"GAH! PERVERT!" Both Ranma and Akane screamed at the same time, swinging their fists towards Happosai's head, only to have the grandmaster to dodge out of the way and land on the dojo floor, cackling.

"What's the matter, can't you keep up with one old man?!" Happosai taunted, dodging again as Ranma and Akane both struck where he'd been, barely missing him. With just the barest of warnings, Happosai then ducked his head, narrowly avoiding Nodoka's thrust, and spun around behind her, leaping up to pat Nodoka on the rear a few times. "Ha ha! As nice as ever No-chan!" He cackled merrily, leaping away.

"You letch, don't feel up my mom!" Ranma roared, rushing forward with an iron-body empowered Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken onslaught, pressing Happosai back.

Happosai grinned as he continued to back up. "Is that all you've got girl?" He taunted, using his pipe to hook one of Ranma's wrists, and then sent him spinning into the air. Only at the last second did the old man dodge simultaneous attacks from a mallet and katana, flipping over Akane's head and pinching her butt on the way down, causing Akane to screech indignantly as she spun around, smashing a right hook into Happosai's defenses that sent him flying across the dojo.

"DIE PERVERT!" Akane, Ranma, and Nodoka screamed at the same time, advancing menacingly on Happosai, furious auras blazing.

"Wait!" Happosai yelled, holding up his hand to stop them. "Don't you want your training gear Ranma?" He asked innocently.

Ranma stopped at that, blinking confusedly. "What'cha got old man?" She asked, interested.

Happosai chuckled, reaching behind himself. "I've got... This!" He exclaimed, whipping out a sheer lace black bra with the centers removed, clearly designed to show off and accentuate the areola. "It's the greatest bra design ever! It's perfect for you!" He cackled merrily, leaping towards Ranma, hefting his pipe in one hand and the bra in the other.

"Look out Ranma!" Akane yelled, leaping in front of her fiancee, her fists held out in front of her, only for Happosai, who was already swinging the pipe around, to shred her shirt and bra, and pull the bra he held on to her, flipping it around and latching it, causing everyone to stop dead in their tracks. Akane looked down, her eyes wide with shock at what happened.

"Hmmm... I knew that the bra I'd found was a bit too small for Ranma, but it seems to be a perfect fit for you dear Akane." Happosai commented with an appreciative nod, looking up at Akane's chest.

"YOU PERVERT!" Akane screeched, her cheeks flushing as she kicked Happosai through the dojo ceiling, glaring as he disappeared into the distance. "I swear, I'm gonna kill him!" She fumed, whirling around in anger, only to stop dead in her tracks, face to face with a frazzled, blushing Ranma. "Ruh-Ranma...?" Akane asked, and they both cast their eyes down, their gazes settling on her chest.

"GAH!" Ranma cried out, grabbing at her nose as she flew backward in a spurt of blood that squirted from between her fingers. "Suh-so... perky..." She moaned, a slight grin on her face.

"Don't look you pervert!" Akane cried out, blushing furiously, trying to cover her chest with her arms as she stomped on Ranma a few times. With one last kick, she ran over to where Ranma's shirt had been discarded, quickly scooping it up and pulling it on, her blush never subsiding as she ran from the dojo.

"Oh, my son is so manly! Even as a girl he's still attracted to women!" Nodoka beamed, sheathing her katana. "Akane dear, wait for me!" She called out, following after the younger girl.

'Our master is just as cruel as ever.' Read a sign that Genma held up for Soun, who had turned around and was facing the wall so that he wouldn't see his daughter shirtless, to read.

"Ohhh, master is so cruel, doing such a horrible thing to my baby girl!" Soun cried, huge crocodile tears leaking from his eyes.

Laying in a heap on the dojo floor, Ranma could only moan in pain.

* * *

"Oh man, I need a bath!" Akane groaned, heading for her room to grab a change of clothes, then set off for the furo.

Nodoka, finally catching up to Akane, grabbed her future daughter-in-law by the elbow, cupping it gently. "Why don't I join you Akane? I've been wanting to talk with you more." She offered with a smile.

"Oh, ok Auntie Saotome." Akane agreed, looking down with a tint of pink on her cheeks.

Nodoka smiled at akane, and the two entered the furo, only to find Kasumi in there already, fretting. "Kasumi? Whats wrong?" Akane asked, going over to her sister.

"Oh, it's nothing important." Kasumi said with a sigh. "It's just that the hot water is on the fritz again, and the repairmen won't be here until tomorrow. So that means that we'll have to go to the public baths tonight." She went on, smoothing some wrinkles from the front of her dress.

Akane smiled. "Ok Kasumi! Do you want to come?" She asked.

Nodoka nodded in agreement. "Yes, please come Kasumi. It will be more fun with the three of us." She agreed.

"Oh my." Kasumi said with a smile. "It seems that the two of you are getting along very well, arn't you? Alright, I'll come as well." She said with an agreeable nod.

At that moment, Nabiki made herself known as she popped her head in as well. "What's going on here? A party or something?" She asked.

Kasumi smiled at her sister. "No Nabiki. The furo isn't working correctly, so we are going to the public baths instead." She explained.

Nabiki raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh, really? Alright then, I'll come along as well." She replied, starting for her room, though stopping before she closed the door. "Oh, and one more thing..." She started, looking over her shoulder at Akane. "Care to explain why you are wearing Ranma's shirt?" She asked with a hint of mirth in her voice.

Kasumi frowned disapprovingly at this, noticing that Akane was indeed wearing Ranma's shirt. "Akane, you and Ranma haven't been doing anything inappropriate, have you?" She asked with concern.

"KASUMI!" Akane screeched, her cheeks flushing. "We haven't been doing anything like that!"

"Oh, my son is so manly!" Nodoka exclaimed happily, clasping her hands together.

This caused Akane's flush to darken even further. "Aunty! You know why I've got this shirt on! It's because that old pervert Happosai destroyed mine!" She yelled, embarrassed.

Nodoka tittered, waving one hand in a shooing gesture. "What? Am I not allowed to embarrass my own future daughter?" She asked with a laugh, causing Nabiki to break out laughing as well.

"So they really are not doing anything inappropriate? Thank goodness." Kasumi said with a sigh of relief.

Nabiki finally stopped laughing, though the smirk was still firmly in place. "Really Akane, you are FAAAR too easy to tease." She informed. "Though... Kasumi, the only reason why you don't want them doing anything 'inappropriate' is because you still haven't gotten any from Tofu." She taunted with a grin, earning an indignant squawk from Kasumi, Who chased the middle sister down the hall towards her room.

"Oh my, arn't those two lively." Nodoka said with a giggle while Akane sighed, rubbing her temples.

* * *

Shampoo sighed contentedly, dumping a bucket of water over her head, washing away the last bits of soap from her body. Setting down the bucket, Shampoo looked down at herself, feeling the sadness that had been so constant for the past week well within her once again. Why didn't Ranma choose her? Why did he have to choose that stupid Tendo girl? Surely she was beautiful enough, she was the only person who looked better than Ranma in his female form after all! Had it been that she'd been too aggressive? Surely that wasn't it- A man such as Ranma needed a fierce warrior-maiden by his side as his spouse! Not someone who wouldn't even last five seconds in a real battle like Akane Tendo! So why did he choose her?! It definitly wasn't due to a fear of commitment, like Shampoo had originally thought, since he'd made it abundantly clear that Akane was the girl he'd chosen after his near death experience... It was that Damned Happosai's fault! It only the ancient enemy of the Amazons hadn't put that thrice-damned mark on Ranma's back, none of this would have happened, and he would have eventually chosen to be with Shampoo!

Feeling herself growing furious, Shampoo decided that it would be best if she got back to the Nekohaten, and gathered her bathing supplies together before drying herself off and started for the locker where her things were stored, opening it up and pulling out her clothes as someone, whose face was hidden by her locker door and began to use the one right next to hers. Shutting it, Shampoo's eyes widened in shock as she came face-to-face with an equally surprised Akane. "Is you!" Shampoo snarled angrily, noting that the older sisters and some strange woman were standing just behind Akane.

"Shampoo!" Akane exclaimed, surprised. "I haven't seen you around in a while! How've you been?!" She asked.

"What, is Akane want be rubbing it in now?!" Shampoo snapped. "Akane already win Ranma's heart, no need talk to Shampoo anymore! Just leave Shampoo alone!" With that, she roughly jerked her clothes on, never noticing her brooch slip off and drop to the floor, and slammed her locker shut, rudely shoving past Akane, never noticing that her brooch was gone.

"Shampoo!" Akane called out worriedly as the levender-haired Chinese girl stormed through the doors, ignoring her call as she left.

"Oh my, who was that?" Nodoka asked, concerned. "She seemed really upset with you over something Akane, is everything alright?"

Nabiki began to remove her clothes and store them away. "What I want to know is what Shampoo was talking about before she left. What did she mean when she said that Ranma had already chosen you? Is there something happening between you and Ranma that you haven't told us yet, dear sister?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow while she grabbed her bathing supplies.

Akane blushed deeply as she pulled off Ranma's shirt. "Well..." She started hesitantly. "It's... Oh, I just can't say!" She exclaimed, covering her flaming cheeks with her hands.

"Akane?" Kasumi questioned, going over to her youngest sister and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "What happened?"

Akane grinned slightly from beneath her hands. "He-" She started, looking up. "-Just before he lost consciousness, Ranma told me that he wanted to...To..." Taking a deep breath, Akane looked away. "...That he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, and he'd be proud to call me his wife, and then he confirmed it when he woke up again..." She admitted quietly with a gulp.

"No way, get outta here!" Nabiki breathed, her eyes widening in shock. "You sure we're talking about the same guy here? The 'afraid to admit any feelings' Ranma Saotome? That guy? There's no way!" She exclaimed, absolutely flabbergasted.

"I have to admit, it is rather unlike Ranma to admit something like that." Kasumi agreed, covering her mouth with one hand. "When it comes to physical things, or being insulting, Ranma is the best, but I cannot imagine him admitting how he really feels." She continued.

Akane sighed in annoyance at what her sisters were saying. "Well, he did, ok?! And..." She looked away, her blush returning. "And I told him I felt the same..." She admitted, earning shocked gasps from both Nabiki and Kasumi, and a beaming smile from Nodoka.

"Oh, my son is so manly! And you are an excellent young woman Akane! I am sure that you'll give me lots of wonderful grandbabies!" Nodoka gushed, clapping her hands together excitedly.

"WHA?! BUT WE'RE TOO YOUNG FOR ANYTHING LIKE THAT AUNTIE!" Akane yelled in embarrassment while Nabiki and Kasumi giggled. Averting her eyes, Akane spotted something on the ground. "Hey, what's this?" She asked, reaching down to pick it up and examine it. "Oh, what a pretty brooch! Look, when you turn it this way, it looks like a little sad face, but when you turn it the other way, it looks like a happy face!" She exclaimed, holding it up for the others to see, completely unaware of the tragedy that the Contrary Jewel was about to bring.

**-TBC-**

A/N– Uh-oh! Akane has hold of the Contrary Jewel! What's going to happen?! Don't kill me, and I promise I'll soon be finished with the next chapter soon!

Review please!


	10. Chapter 10 Love Happiness Gone

A/N– Well, it seems like everyone is worried about what will happen with the contrary jewel, and I'm about ta make your worst fears come true! So be prepared, the 'Ranma Runs Away' arc starts now! (^^u though, the first bit should have you rolling on the floor in laughter- I'm certainly enjoying writing it!)

**-Chapter 10-**

**-Love. Happiness. Gone.-**

It was a cold, moonless night, where even the stars seemed to , their shine only barely flickering over a large rural area in Japan, far from the bright lights of Tokyo, and more importantly, Nerima. The only light that could be seen for miles was a singular, lonely fire that kept the darkness at bay and provided warmth for the sole occupant who sat close to it, her knees drawn up to his chest as she stared listlessly into the flames, which reflected in her sad blue eyes as she sat unseeing, lost in her memories.

Only four days earlier, Ranma could claim that, despite being as weak as a child, she was the happiest she had ever been in her life- She'd finally admitted that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Akane, and she had reciprocated her feelings...

...Or so she'd thought, but then, on that night...

-flashback to Tendo Household, four days earlier-

Ranma groaned, cracking her eyes open blearily as she sat up, rubbing her head. "Aw man, did that tomboy have'ta kick me so hard?" She groused, looking around the dojo, only to find it completely devoid of anyone else. _'Huh, even pops an' Mr. Tendo have gone somewhere- Probably in the house playin' Shogi, or they've hit the bars again. Sooo predictable.' _She thought to herself as she deftly leapt to her feet, cracking her neck to relieve some of the tension from having been passed out on the floor for so long without any neck support. "Hey, where's my shirt?!" Ranma cried out, realizing that her shirt was gone from where she'd tossed it down earlier. _'Did Akane get it? Hers was shredded after all...' _She wondered to herself, feeling a small blush form as she remembered just how Akane had looked in that bra. _'No! Bad Ranma! No dirty thoughts!' _She thought frantically, smacking herself over the back of her head as she felt a small nose-bleed beginning to form.

Deciding it would be best to just get another shirt, Ranma dashed from the dojo to the house, quickly making her way up to the room that she and her father shared, and snagged a shirt from her ever-present back-pack. Standing up, she thought for a second, then reached down again, grabbing a change of undershirt, boxers, and pants as well before making her way to the furo. "That's strange, where's everyone at?" She asked herself as she slid the bathroom door closed behind herself and laid her clean clothes to the side before stripping her pants off, revealing that the resistance machine that she was wearing ran down her legs as well. _'Now, ta get outta this thing!'_ She thought, hitting the quick-release button on the chest plate, and sighing in obvious relief as the hold it had on her slackened, and she stepped out of it as it fell to the floor in a heap.

Grinning, Ranma stripped off her underwear and quickly started up the water faucet on the bath, turning her back on it as it filled and grabbed a pail and some bathing supplies, using cold water to thoroughly wash herself of the now-dry sweat she'd accumulated while working out. "Now for a nice hot bath!" Ranma chirped as she rinsed herself off and leapt towards the still-filling furo. "Warm water, here I come!" She exclaimed, landing in the water with a loud splash...

...Then promptly leaping out just as quickly, covering her body with her arms. "Cuh-cuh-COLD!" She screeched, landing on the floor a few feet away, shivering violently as her teeth chattered together. "Whu-what the huh-hell was that?!" She snarled at the bath, almost seeming to expect a response. Edging over to it, she looked down, and surely enough, it was the hot faucet that she'd turned on! Reaching down, Ranma tentatively ran her fingers under the steadily flowing stream, noting with some shock that the water was ice-cold to the touch. "What's goin' on here?!" She asked, turning off the water and grabbing her towel, wrapping it around her body.

No sooner than she had done this, than what sounded like a stampede erupted just outside, and the door to the furo flew open and Soun jumped in, brandishing a spear, followed closely by Genma, who was in his panda form. "Ranma! I head a scream! Is everything alright?!" Soun asked, looking around for any threats.

"No everything ain't alright! There ain't any hot water!" Ranma complained, gesturing towards the furo.

Soun frowned, lowering his spear. "Oh, is that all? Well, I guess no one told you, but the hot water is on the fritz, and the repairmen can't come until tomorrow. So, the girls have gone to the public baths, and they will be bringing supper home tonight." He replied, laughing suddenly while scratching the back of his head and Genma growfed in agreement.

"Really? Man, that sucks!" Ranma complained, pushing passed Soun and her father, and, after making sure the door was closed between her and them, quickly slipped into her boxers and under-shirt, then pulled on the resistance suit and set it to five pounds, and finished up by pulling on her clothes. "What're they bringin' home?" Ranma asked as Genma slid the door open, and the three of them made their way downstairs to the kitchen, where Ranma put two cups of water into the microwave and set it for thirty seconds.

"Oh, I don't know. However, there is something I want to ask you son." Soun said mildly, crossing his arms.

Ranma looked over her shoulder as the microwave went off, and she got the cups of now-warm water out, handing one to her father. "Yeah? What is it Mr. Tendo?" Ranma asked, dumping the warm water over her head, sighing in relief as she felt the change take place.

"Well..." Soun started, smoking a cigarette. "Your father told me about everything that happened in the dojo while I wasn't looking, including your reaction to Akane's... state... And I was just curious..." Suddenly, his demon head appeared, leering over Ranma and Genma as a forked tongue flickered from between wicked-looking teeth and he blew smoke from his nose. "WHAT EXACTLY WERE YOU THINKING ABOUT MY BABY GIRL?! WERE YOU LOOKING AT HER WITH... SEXUAL INTENTIONS?!" He rumbled ominously, his gigantic eyes crossing to focus on Ranma.

"Whu-wait a minute Mr. Tendo!" Ranma yelled, panickingly backing up until he bumped into the kitchen counter. "What would I wanna do somethin' like that with a homely chick like Akane anyway? She's built like a brick!" He exclaimed, slipping back into his habit of insulting Akane in hopes of calming Soun down.

"OH, SO NOW MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU?!" Soun roared, causing Ranma to cower further.

"Waitwaitwait!" Ranma waved his arms in front of himself, hoping to ward off his impending doom. "I said I DO wanna do all that stuff with her, ok?!" He yelled, causing Genma to palm his face, shaking his head.

"YOU WILL NOT DEFILE MY PRECIOUS LITTLE FLOWER!" Soun screamed, pulling out a naginata and swiping at Ranma, who deftly dodged out of the way, the blade missing the back of his neck by an inch.

"Now, now Tendo- You know that they'll have to do that sort of thing eventually anyway if they are to produce a legitimate heir to the schools." Genma said placatingly, only to shiver in fear as Soun turned his demon-head technique on him, glaring menacingly.

"Saotome... PREPARE TO DIE!" Soun roared, his demon-head at its maximum effect as he chased Ranma and Genma out of the household and down the street, swinging his naginata at their fleeing backs.

* * *

"We're hooome!" Akane called out as she entered through the front door of the Tendo household, holding several take-out boxes in her hands, followed in short order by Nabiki, Kasumi, and Nodoka, all of who were carrying boxes as well. "Huh, that's odd, I figured dad or Mr. Saotome would have come when I called." Akane mentioned, setting the food she was carrying on a near-by table as she switched her shoes for house slippers.

"Oho, your father and my lazy husband are probably just in the family room playing Shogi." Nodoka tittered as she switched her shoes as well, setting them down next to Akane's and the others.

"Heh, you'd figure that if Akane would be calling for anyone, it'd be her boooyfriend." Nabiki teased, not noticing Akane's twitch of annoyance.

"Whatever, let's just get the food set." Akane snapped, roughly picking the take-out boxes she'd been carrying back up and marching into the main part of the house, ignoring the shocked looks she was getting, the brooch at the base of her neck gleaming ominously.

"Oh my, what do you suppose got into Akane?" Kasumi asked worriedly. "She was so happy about being with Ranma earlier, but she seems to have done a complete turn-around." She remarked.

Nabiki's eyes narrowed, thinking back to when Akane's demeanor could have changed during their time out.

Nodoka cupped her cheek with one hand, looking every bit as worried as Kasumi. "I don't know, but I hope that whatever is wrong, Akane and Ranma can get through it soon." She answered.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the public baths, Shampoo was frantically crawling around on her hands and knees, looking everywhere for the brooch that she'd dropped. _'Aiya! If Grandmother finds out that I lost her brooch, she will skin me alive!" _She thought with a shudder. Getting up, she quickly made her way back to the front desk. "Excuse, but see person turning in shiny green brooch?" She asked desperately.

The clerk, an older woman with a bored expression on her face, turned from her soap opera, looking at Shampoo with a disinterested stare. "Nope." She drawled, then turned back to her television.

"Aiya! No is good!" Shampoo wailed, going back to start looking around the bath-house again.

* * *

Ranma and Genma ran into the front hall of the Tendo house, Soun hot on their heels, dressed out in full Samurai regalia with a stony expression on his face as he peppered the air around the duo with arrows that they were just barely able to avoid. "C'mon Mr. Tendo, give us a break!" Ranma complained, knocking an arrow away with a quick chop.

"You want a break? Ok, how many pieces do you want me to break you into?!" Soun asked, parting the top of Genma's head-cloth with a well-aimed shot.

Skidding into the family room, the three of them found the girls already there, waiting patiently for them. "Oh, father! You, Mr. Saotome, and Ranma arrived just in time for dinner." Kasumi said with a sweet smile.

In the blink of an eye, Soun seemed to be out of his armor, seating himself comfortably at the head of the table. "Why thank you Kasumi! I trust you all had a good time?" He asked pleasantly, filling his plate.

Genma, who had slid smoothly into the spot beside Nodoka, and started filling his as well. "Yes, you were gone for quite a while-I was beginning to get worried." He remarked.

Nabiki raised an eyebrow at that. "About us, or your stomach?" She asked snidely, provoking giggles from the other girls at the table, and a hearty laugh from Soun while Genma felt his face flushing a little at the (partially true) accusation.

Ranma slid into his position beside Akane, his eyes lighting up happily at the spread that was laid out before him. "Man, this looks good!" He exclaimed happily.

"Saotome..." Akane growled, her chopsticks snapping in her ever-tightening fist.

Ranma looked up, blinking in confusion at that. "Huh? Pops, did'ja do somethin' ta make Akane mad again?" He asked, looking to his father, only for his confusion to grow as he got a negative shake in return.

"I WASN'T talking to Mr. Saotome you idiot!" Akane snapped, shooting a heated glare at Ranma.

Ranma looked at Akane confusedly, and, admittedly, a little annoyance, before it dawned on him. "Oh! Are ya mad about what happened earlier Akane? I really didn't mean ta look without your permission, I swear! I'm sorry." He apologized, shame-faced.

This earned gasps of eye-widening shock from Soun, Genma, Kasumi, and Nabiki- Ranma, was apologizing? To Akane?! And he was doing it willingly?!! "Ok, this has got to officially be the weirdest day ever." Nabiki remarked dryly, though still in shock, and wishing that she'd had a tape-recorder on hand.

"Feh, you think that's the reason why I'm angry?" Akane snarled, glaring coldly at Ranma. "I just can't stand you is all!"

Ranma felt his annoyance growing, and, before he could stop himself, opened his mouth. "Oh yeah? What can I POSSIBLY do that wouldn't make you angry, oh princess-built-like-a-brick?" He shot back, making it sound as insulting as possible. Why was Akane acting like this?!

Akane smirked coldly. "Oh, you want to know?" She asked. Getting a nod from Ranma, her smirk grew. "Well, you can start by never speaking to or looking at me again, and then you can get the hell out Mr. Know-it-All! As a matter of fact, you can get the hell out of Nerima for all I care, because I never want to see you again! I've never liked you, I never will! Who'd want a freak like you anyway? Can you even tell anymore if you're a girl or a guy? I know I don't want to have anything else to do with you, and as of now, this engagement is officially over, SO GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" She yelled, earning gasps from everyone

Ranma, who had stood up, gasped in shock, clutching at his heart as those words filtered in, feeling it break in two. "Is that what ya really want?" He asked quietly, hanging his head.

"Yes." Akane snapped as she turned her back on him.

"FINE THEN!" Ranma thundered, his head snapping up as his eyes blazed with fury. "IF YA REALLY WANT ME GONE THAT BAD, I'LL LEAVE AN' NEVER COME BACK!" He screamed, his face turning red as he stormed angrily past Akane, heading for the room that he and his father shared. After a moment, they heard him stomp towards the front door. "GOODBYE!" He roared.

And then he was gone.

"Oh my..." Kasumi said in a shocked whisper.

* * *

Ranma ran along the streets of Nerima, heading north as fast as he could, a furious, hurt look on his face. "Stupid Akane! What the hell is wrong with her?!" He yelled in frustration, the scene at dinner playing over and over in his head. She didn't ever want to see him again? Well that was fine with him! She wasn't doing anything but distracting him from his training anyway! Without even a glance back, Ranma left Nerima, clenching his eyes shut as he ran.

In the moonlight, a few glistening drops fell unnoticed to the ground behind him.

-end flashback-

That had been four days ago, and Ranma had run almost ceaselessly since then, only stopping for a handful of hours each night to catch enough sleep to recharge herself, as he couldn't stand to sleep for more than the minimal amount of time she could manage, that fateful night playing itself in new, more horrible ways in her nightmares. Now was one of those fateful stops, and Ranma was almost dreading closing her eyes as she waited for the water in that she'd brought along to heat up, due to the fact that while he'd been running earlier, he'd been caught by an errant splash of water from a gardening hose, and was currently in her female form. "Akane..." She whispered into the night air.

A few moments later, a loud roar sliced through the silence, causing Ranma to raise her head slightly to listen. "Huh, a bear? It must be on the trail of somethin'... It sounds pretty close too." She commented, listening for more howls, only to be met with a high-pitched scream. "What the hell?! That sounded like a kid!" Ranma exclaimed, shooting to her feet as she turned in the direction of the scream.

Suddenly, the bushes before her began to rustle, and a small, lithe form covered in a tattered cloak burst from the underbrush, barreling head-long towards Ranma. "Please help me!" The figure squealed, revealing herself to be a young girl, even as she pulled back her hood, revealing that she was indeed a child of no more than seven years old, with dirty, matted yellow hair and wide green eyes, wild with fear. "The bear's gonna get me!"

"Quick kid, get behind me!" Ranma ordered, glancing around and catching a pair of eyes gleaming in the fire-light. With another roar, the largest brown bear that she'd ever seen, easily half again as large as her father, barreled into the clearing. "A bear." Ranma spat, glaring at the shaggy beast as it stood up on it's hind legs, it's upper lip curling. "Go on, get outta here!" She yelled, stomping one foot.

"Please, don't let the bear hurt me!" the little girl begged, tears in her eyes as she clutched at the back of Ranma's pants-leg.

Ranma spared a glance down at the frightened child. "Don't worry kid, you'll be safe as long as yer with me!" She said with a confident grin, then turned her eyes back towards the wild bear, her gaze growing cold as her aura flared to life around her.

The bear, which had been keeping a fair distance, observed the woman before it, her aura screaming 'Danger!' at it, as if she were a fierce, wounded tigress standing vigil over her cub, protecting it from other predators. However, the bear had been chasing it's prey for too long to give up on it now, so, growling, it began to lumber forward.

"Here it comes kid!" Ranma warned. Without further hesitation, the bear roared it's challenge and dashed at the pair, it's hungry call intermingling with the girl's screams and Ranma's fierce battle cry.

* * *

Nabiki sat at her desk, tapping her pencil impatiently on a sheet of paper as she looked absently over her ledger books from the past four days, not really paying them that much attention -It was obvious that she needed to get Ranma back in any case, he was one of her biggest cash resources after all- But her mind kept focusing on the fiasco that had happened between Ranma and Akane, and all because of that odd little piece of jewelry that Akane had found and what it had done to her, the contrary jewel, with the power to enhance or reverse romantic feelings...

-flashback, four days earlier-

In the Tendo household, everyone, save for Akane, was sitting around the table in total shock and confusion, trying to comprehend just what had gone wrong, and why Akane was sitting there calmly eating as if nothing had happened at all. Finally, after a few tense moments, Nodoka cleared her throat, leveling a cold stare at Akane. "And just what, pray tell, was that all about?" She asked, her voice quiet and as smooth as silk, carrying an undercurrent of danger that everyone but Akane immediately picked up on.

"Nodoka, please-" Soun started, only to receive a piercing glare from the woman, causing him to wither under her steely gaze.

Akane blinked in confusion, looking up from her food. "Aunty Nodoka? What are you talking about?" She asked, completely missing the horrified look from Kasumi and Nabiki palming her face.

"Don't play games with me girl! I'm talking about the way you just mistreated my child!" Nodoka snapped angrily, knocking Genma's hand away when he tried to placatingly place it on her shoulder.

Akane's face darkened at the mention of Ranma. "That guy is nothing but a perverted playboy jerk that likes to string girls along like they're his playthings, and I don't want to have anything, and I mean ANYTHING to do with him anymore!" She replied heatedly, her voice rising. After a few seconds, she managed to regain control of herself. "Besides, he's gone now, and we'll probably never see him again, so it's alright, isn't it?" She asked.

Nodoka stood suddenly, her grip tightening around the sheath of her katana. "I don't have to take this, especially from a brat like you. Come Genma, we are leaving." She snapped, her voice brokering no argument.

Akane seemed genuinely surprised by this. "Aunty Nodoka? Where are you going?" She asked.

Nodoka turned her head, too disgusted to even look at Akane anymore."Soun Tendo, due to your daughter's actions, the agreement between our families for the marriage of the Saotome and Tendo children is now null and void." She proclaimed. "As such, my husband and myself shall be leaving now."

Genma reached for Nodoka again. "Now listen here No-" He started, only to be cut off as his wife shot a dangerous glare at him.

"I said we are leaving now. We are going to go find our son." She said, her voice soft and cold, and walked for the door.

Genma scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. "Listen Tendo, I'll talk to Nodoka, and maybe we can get this thing worked out. I'll talk to you soon!" He said hurriedly before rushing after his wife.

"Oh my, this is not good." Kasumi remarked, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Oh, how could this have happened?!" Soun wailed, covering his eyes with one forearm. "AKANE!" He suddenly bellowed, lowering his arm. "Why did you have to do that?! I thought you and Ranma were getting along so well?!" He questioned, glaring at his youngest daughter.

Akane, who had been surprised at Nodoka and Genma's sudden departure, shot an icy stare at her father, instantly quelling Soun's attempt to be firm. "I don't want to talk about it! I'm going to bed!" She snapped, storming from the table.

Nabiki, having remained silent throughout the entire exchange, watched her sister's retreating back stonily. "Kasumi..." She started. "Just when did Akane start acting weird?" She questioned.

"Oh, I don't know Nabiki." Kasumi replied fretfully, twisting a napkin in her hands. "She's been acting a little odd ever since Ranma's accident, but this is completely opposite from the way that she's been acting- And it's even worse than when she and Ranma were fighting before!" She exclaimed.

Nabiki nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know." She replied. "And Akane was happy with her and Ranma's relationship when we got to the bathhouse, but when we got back, she started acting like this. It could be because..." She trailed off, mumbling to herself, the only other discernable word being 'magic'.

"Nabiki, do you know what is wrong with your sister?" Soun asked hopefully.

Nabiki nodded. "I've got an idea, yeah, but I won't know for sure until tomorrow." She replied.

* * *

The next day, Nabiki got up earlier than usual, though it annoyed her to do so, and, before Akane even awoke, slipped into her sister's room, quickly locating the brooch, which was laying on the dresser next to her bed. "Now now, just what is it you do?" She asked the brooch, picking it up, twisting it one way and then the other, looking at the two faces it presented. Deciding to give it a test, she went over to her sister's sleeping form and pinned it to the collar of her pajamas. "Akane! Wake up, Ranma's back!" She suddenly cried out.

Like a shot, Akane's eyes snapped open and she leapt from her bed, looking around as she took a fighting stance. "WHERE THE HELL IS THAT PERVERT?!" She raged.

Nabiki cocked her head to the side, then looked out the window. "Oh, my bad, it was just Kuno." She lied, looking into the empty back yard.

Akane's eyes lit up with happiness. "Kuno-sempai is here?! Oh no, I'm such a mess!" She exclaimed worriedly, rushing about in an attempt to make herself presentable.

Nabiki's eyes narrowed. "Here Akane, let me help you." She said sweetly, going over to her sister, who was currently running a brush through her hair.

Akane looked up, surprised at her sister's sudden willingness to help. "Really Nabiki? Thank you!" She said happily.

Nabiki smiled, a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and reached down, deftly plucking the brooch from the collar of Akane's pajamas, noting with surprise that Akane immediately started to slump over, and reached out to steady her. "Akane?" She asked quietly.

Akane groaned, her eyes squeezed shut as she rubbed her head. "Nabiki? What's going on? How long have I been asleep?" She questioned tiredly.

"For a while now." Nabiki replied smoothly. "How are you feeling Everyone has been worried about you- Ranma especially."

Akane's eyes shot open, and she looked up at her sister. "Ranma? Is everything alright?!" She asked quickly. "I had such a horrible dream..." She trailed off.

Nabiki raised an eyebrow at that. "A dream you say? Let me guess- In the dream, you started hating Ranma for no real reason, and called him a freak, then told him that you'd never loved him and broke off the engagement and kicked him out of the house, right?" She asked dryly.

Akane's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Huh-how did you know? That was exactly what happened in my dream!" She exclaimed.

Nabiki inwardly grimaced, this was going to be nasty. "Akane..." She started, sitting down next to her sister, taking her hand in her own. "That wasn't a dream. Something affected you last night, changed your personality around completely regarding Ranma, and after a brief, but very bad argument, you broke off the engagement and kicked him out of the house, and we haven't heard anything from him since." She informed.

Akane began to tear up, slowly shaking her head in denial as she covered her mouth with her free hand, choking back a sob. "No! What happened?! Why did I act like that?!" She asked fearfully.

Nabiki shook her head. "I don't really know sis, but I've got some ideas. That's why we, you and me both, need to go talk to that old Amazon, Cologne. She might be able to shed some light on this."

Akane nodded her head. "Alright! I'll get dressed and we'll head over there right away!" She exclaimed, hurriedly getting up and rushing over to her closet.

* * *

Twenty minutes later found the two sisters standing in front of the Nekohaten, which was still closed this early in the morning. "Hello?! Is anybody home?!" Akane called out, knocking on the door. "Please, it's an emergency!"

After having to wait for only a moment, the sound of someone coming toward the door could be heard, and in the next instant, Cologne opened it, hopping out on her cane. "Akane Tendo? What is wrong child? What's the emergency?" She asked, looking at the young girl.

Nabiki smirked. "Why hello elder, you are just the person we were needing to see." She said, her tone flat.

Cologne shot a glance at Nabiki. "Oh? And what is the trouble that the two of you would need to come seek me out?" She asked warily.

Nabiki held out her left hand, opening it up and showing Cologne the Contrary Jewel. "Have you ever seen this before?" She asked mildly.

Cologne's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but gasp slightly in shock. "That brooch!" She exclaimed, already quickly trying to formulate what had happened and a good cover story in her head. "That is a legendary cursed artifact from our villages old times! Where did you find it? What is going on?" She asked.

Akane teared up. "Oh Cologne, it's horrible!" She choked out. "I found that last night at the bathhouse, and when I went home, I was so mean to Ranma! I said horrible things, and then broke off the engagement and kicked him out of the house!" She explained brokenly. "What is that thing?"

Cologne reached out to take the jewel from Nabiki's hand, only for the girl to close it and pull back. "This object..." She started. "...Is a relic of our village, and has a terrible, frightening power. Can you please hand it to me?"

Nabiki snorted. "Nah, I think I'll hold onto it for now, thank you very much. Let me guess though, when it's worn in the position where it looks like a sad face, it reverses the wearer's romantic feelings, causing them to hate the person that they actually love, and vice-versa, right?" She guessed.

Cologne looked at Nabiki again, inwardly cursing Nabiki's intellect. "Yes, that is true." She replied. "However, when worn the other way, it enhances the person's true feelings to their absolute maximum. For you to have found it at the bathhouse, Happosai must have been there, and had been intending on using it on someone." She explained.

Nabiki nodded thoughtfully. "That explains a lot..." She murmured.

"Hey!" Akane exclaimed. "We don't have time for this! I've got to go find Ranma!" She went on, fidgeting.

Nabiki looked over at her sister. "Well... Normally I'd charge for this kind of thing, but while you were getting dressed, I got into contact with some of my informants, and one of them told me that she saw Ranma heading North at a pretty good speed, so if you want to catch him, you'd better hurry. I'd go with you, but I have other things I need to do." She said.

Akane's eyes widened at that. "Thank you Nabiki!" She exclaimed, grabbing her sister in a tight hug, then let go and rushed off, heading back to the dojo to get some supplies together.

Nabiki watched bemusedly as her sister sped off, leaning against the restaurant's wall. "Y'know, I never really expected those two to ever admit their feelings for one another." She commented.

"Indeed." Cologne replied.

"You know, it's a funny thing-" Nabiki started. "-I happen to know for a fact that Happosai was nowhere near that bathhouse. However, Shampoo was. I've got to say, it was a pretty ingenious plan on your part." She remarked.

Cologne cast her gaze to the young girl, her eyes narrowed in annoyance at being caught out so easily by the young girl. "I'll admit that I lied about Happosai, but trust me- There is no plan for us to get Ranma to marry Shampoo anymore." She admitted.

Nabiki raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh really? It seems rather odd for you to give up like this, after everything that you've gone through to get him. Forgive me if I don't exactly believe you so easily." She replied, her voice cool.

Cologne nodded wearily. "Yes, but things have changed, and it was a unanimous decision for us to break the kiss law in this case. However, we have managed to gain Ranma as an ally, and in the future, their children may marry one of ours." She said.

Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Something happened, and he scares you now, doesn't he?" She questioned.

Cologne sighed. "You know, you are too smart for your own good." She quipped. "So, what will it take for you to keep the information about that it was Shampoo's slip-up that lead to all this to yourself?" She asked, her voice sounding tired.

In response, Nabiki grinned predatorily.

-end flashback-

Nabiki couldn't help but smirk a little, remembering that last part- It would surprise anyone that knew her, but Nabiki hadn't taken any money from Cologne. No, having the old woman owe her a favor was much more valuable in her opinion. After all, who knew when something unexpected would happen, and she would need that favor?

Looking over, Nabiki spied the small, unassuming jewel. "And what about you?" She asked bemusedly, picking the contrary jewel up. "Just how powerful are you, really? How far could you push me if I put you on the right way?" Setting it down, she looked out of the window into the night sky. "Akane... I hope you find Ranma soon, and make it back safe..." She said, her voice no more than a whisper.

* * *

Trudging along a deserted road, forty miles North of Tokyo, Akane looked up at the night sky, sighing wistfully. "Ranma, where are you?" She asked the night air, before scanning the country-side in the hope of possibly spotting a campfire anywhere. Spotting none, Akane sighed again, and decided to make camp for the night, quickly starting up a small fire, then going about setting her tent up and a packet of instant ramen to boil inside of a small pot that she'd brought along. While her meal cooked, Akane brought out the map that she'd brought along, using the fire-light, tracing her finger along all of the possible roads that Ranma might have taken, trying to figure out which town he might be heading for.

After a few moments of study, Akane set the map aside, seeing that the noodles were ready. "Ok, time for dinner!" She exclaimed, adding a few ingredients to the ramen before pouring it into a bowl and grabbing up her chop-sticks. Quickly picking up a few noodles, she stuck them into her mouth, managing to chew once before her eyes widened and began to water as she turned an interesting shade of green, the chopsticks breaking in her hand from the pressure she was putting on them.

* * *

Ranma nimbly dodged to the side as the colossal bear that she was fighting brought down one of it's massive paws, shaking the earth about them with the force behind the attack. With a roar, the bear swiped at Ranma again, only for her to dodge out of the way. "Is that all ya got, ya oversized fuzz ball?!" She taunted, landing a kick to the side of it's head that seemed to incite the bear into an even greater rage. Flipping back to avoid a bite, Ranma landed over the crouching, shaking girl that she was guarding. Bending forward at the waist slightly, Ranma curled her fingers, sneering. "Well I ain't gonna let ya have the kid, so ya can forget about it!" She yelled. _"Damn, I ain't got the strength ta beat this thing normally- I guess I'm gonna have ta use the Iron Body technique on it..." _She thought to herself. _"If only... THERE!" _A feral grin spread across Ranma's lips as the bear stood on it's hind legs. "I HOPE YER READY FOR THIS!" She yelled, leaping from her spot over the little girl, appearing before the bear in the blink of an eye as she activated her grandfather's technique, her lithe muscles bulging under the sudden strain being placed on them. "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" She roared, her fists blurring to near-invisibility as she pummeled the bear's body and head, finishing with a violent uppercut that sent the large animal crashing into the bushes, where it quickly got up and ran away, whimpering. "Ha! Take that, ya stuffed teddy!" Ranma taunted, turning her back and flipping her pig-tail, dismissive. Looking around for any more signs of trouble and spotting none, Ranma made her way over to the little girl, who had collapsed to the ground. "Hey kid! Ya okay?!" She asked worriedly, shaking the little girl's shoulder.

The girl's eyes fluttered open, looking up at her savior. "Th-thank you..." She whispered tiredly, her eyes sliding closed again as her head lolled to the side.

"Phew, she's just sleepy." Ranma remarked, checking the girl's pulse, and finding it steady. Grabbing up the kettle, Ranma up-ended it, pouring a bit of water over her head, wincing at how hot it was as he changed back into his male form. "Well, this is another fine mess you've gotten yourself into Ranma." He grumbled, sitting down and crossing his legs as he stared over at his new, unexpected guest.

**-TBC-**

A/N - Well! Things have certainly soured, and all because of the Contrary Jewel! What is in store for everyone's favorite couple, now that Ranma is traveling across Japan, thinking that Akane hates him, and with his new, unexpected cargo- And Akane, chasing after Ranma to tell him how she really feels?! Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter of Rebirth of a Legend to find out!

And review please! Thank you!


	11. Chapter 11 Ranma, Mommy AND Daddy!

A/N– Well then! The last chapter was received a lot better than I thought it would be! And so, to answer the demand, I'm producing this chapter sooner than I would normally! (Since, normally, I procrastinate quite a bit, and, when I actually sit down to really get to it, I can produce a chapter in about 4-5 hours, barring, of course, outside interference. Most of the rest of the time is imagining up what is going to happen.)

Disclaimer- Nope, I still don't own Ranma ½, and if Viz tries to sue me, I can guarantee that they won't get anything! Though, I may wind up in a mental asylum for a while! *giggles madly*

**-Chapter 11-**

**-Ranma, Mommy AND Daddy?!-**

Ranma groaned as the morning sun shined brightly down upon him, battering at his closed eyes and demanding that he get up and face the day. "Oh man, what a night..." He groaned, stretching, though finding it hard to move because of the weight on his chest... Ranma's eyes widened as that last thought filtered through his head. Quickly looking down, he threw the top part of his sleeping bag off, only to find a head of bright yellow hair laying on his chest, the little girl he had rescued last night having somehow snuck into bed with him and was now sleeping peacefully, snoring softly. "Awww man, what's goin' on here?!" He yelped, lifting the girl's head up and slipping out from under her before laying her head back down and leaping back, putting some distance between them. "Hey kid! Wake up!" He called out, cupping his hands around his mouth.

A few seconds later, the little girl began to stir, rubbing at her eyes cutely as she sat up and yawned. "What time is it?" She asked sleepily, her eyes half-lidded.

"I dunno, but what I do wanna know is what you were doin' in my sleepin' bag with me!" Ranma exclaimed.

The little girl looked at Ranma, blinking a few times before rubbing her eyes again. "I had a bad dream that the big ol' mean bear was comin' back for me, and I was scared, so I decided to sleep with you." She replied, lowering her hands to look at Ranma again. "Hey, arn't you supposed to be a girl?" She asked innocently.

Ranma blanched at that. "I don't know what yer talkin' about kid! Anyway, what were ya doin' out in the woods anyway? Where are your parents? And what's your name?" He asked, trying to deflect the question.

The girl looked down sadly. "My name is I Keiko, an' I don't have any parents..." She said, her voice low and full of sadness, her eyes beginning to well with tears.

"Oh crap! I'm sorry kid!" Ranma exclaimed, rushing over to her and placing a comforting hand on her back. "Are you alright? You ain't hurt are ya? What were ya doin' out in the woods so late at night anyway?" He asked.

Keiko sniffled a few times, grabbing Ranma suddenly in a tight hug, causing him to flinch, but other than that, he stayed still, letting the child hold onto him. "I ran away from the orphanage..." She admitted, looking up at Ranma, her eyes wide and pleading. "There's somethin' bad there, an' I just had'ta get away before it got me too, just like it got Chisame an' Kazuo! But none of the adults that I'd tell would believe me! But the other day, I heard people on Miss Hasegawa's tv talkin' about people in..." She looked down thoughtfully for a moment, trying to remember the name. "...Nerima... Yeah! That's it! In Nerima, who are really good at fightin' an' stuff, an' I thought if I could get to them, they could come an' get rid of the bad guys!" She exclaimed, hope shining in her eyes.

Ranma's eyes widened at that, looking at Keiko in surprise, but felt a small smirk tugging at his lips anyway. "Well, it looks like your in luck kid, 'cuz I'm Ranma Saotome, an' I'm the greatest martial artist in the world! Nobody else in Nerima is as good as I am!" He boasted, poking himself in the chest with his right thumb.

The little girl's eyes widened with hope, and she clasped her hands together. "Really?! Can you come'n help?!" She practically begged.

Ranma grinned, ruffling the small girl's hair. "Sure thing kid, it's a martial artist's duty to help those in need after all!" He proclaimed. "Now, how about I make us some breakfast? Dos that sound good to you?" He asked.

This earned another wide-eyed look from the girl, and she nodded eagerly. "Yeah!" She exclaimed, her stomach echoing her consent with a loud grumble, causing Keiko to blush a bright red and look down in embarrassment, holding her hands up to her cheeks to cover them.

Ranma laughed. "Ya don't have'ta be embarrassed kid, just hold on a few minutes while I fix something quick." Walking over to where there was some dry wood stacked, Ranma quickly placed it over the embers of his last fire, and held his hand over it, closing his eyes in concentration, remembering one of the ki control exorcizes that his grandfather had taught him during their time together.

-flashback-

Ranma stood, looking over Genryu's shoulder in interest as the old man stacked some wood that he'd somehow managed to find. "Now pay close attention boy." Genryu started. "It's easy to show here, since we don't exist in the sense that we are alive and have physical bodies and all that, but I can still show ya this exorcize in ki manipulation, which is one of the most basic, but also most important to master in order to really grasp and use any real ki-based attack, as it forces you to concentrate your ki into a specific point and manipulate it to do what you need." He explained, the wood beneath his palm catching fire.

"Whoa! That's pretty cool gramps!" Ranma exclaimed, amazed by the technique.

Genryu grinned. "Well, I'm glad ya like it boy, but don't get too cocky just yet! It'll take ya a while to get this down!" He shot back, gesturing to a similar pile of wood a few feet away. "Now get to work lighting that up with nothing but your ki!"

-end flashback-

Ranma grinned wryly at the memory, opening his eyes as the stack of wood caught fire, and was blazing merrily in no time. Getting out a pot and a collapsible tripod stand, Ranma filled the pot with water and added some rice before hanging it on a hook on the tripod, letting it dangle over the fire to cook.

Keiko, who had followed behind Ranma to watch him, gasped in surprise when he started the fire. "Whoa! That was cool! How'd'ja do that?!" She asked, her face full of curious wonder.

Ranma grinned at the little girl, ruffling her hair again. "It's easy, when ya know how ta manipulate ki." He replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Whats ki?" Keiko asked, looking at Ranma with wide eyes.

"Ki is the life energy that runs through everything." Ranma replied. "But, even though we all have ki, it takes many years of hard trainin' ta learn how ta use it properly, and without tirin' yourself out from just usin' it once or twice." He explained. Holding up his hand, he began to concentrate on another of the techniques that he'd been taught by his grandfather- the Dragon's Fang Blast. Suddenly, a ball of blue ki ballooned in his upturned palm, finally stopping when it reached the size of a basketball, hovering a few centimeters above his hand. "This is what a ball of concentrated ki looks like." He said.

Keiko's eyes became huge, sparkling with delight at the shining blue ball in Ranma's hand. "Wow! It's so pretty!" She exclaimed with happiness.

Ranma grinned wryly, letting the ball of energy slowly shrink down as he reabsorbed it. "Well, I'm glad ya like it." He replied.

The girl sat down thoughtfully, looking over at Ranma, who was tending the fire. "Are you sure you wasn't a girl last night?" She asked curiously, a thoughtful frown on her face.

Ranma glanced over at Keiko sharply. "Why do ya ask?" He asked.

In response, Keiko's frown deepened as she crossed her arms. "You had big ol' boobies!" She exclaimed. "An' you had red hair! An' your voice was really pretty! But today you don't have boobies anymore, an' your hair is black, an' you've got a boy voice!" She pointed out.

Ranma blinked, surprised that the girl had been able to notice that much, given the situation that she'd been in last night, and the low light that his fire was giving off. "Heh, that's pretty good Keiko!" He said, impressed. "Are ya sure about what ya saw though? It coulda just been the light playin' with your eyes ya know."

"Nuh-uh! I know what I saw!" Keiko pouted, pointing at Ranma. "You was a girl last night, but you're a boy today! Are you a magical girl? Like on that Sailor Moon show that Miss Hasegawa likes ta watch?" She asked, blinking innocently.

Ranma threw his head back, laughing at the absurdity of it all, remembering that show, which was one of Akane's favorites. "I guess you could say that." He finally said, his laughter dying down to sporadic giggles. "Can I trust you with a secret?" He asked, whispering conspiringly.

The girl, whose eyes were as wide as saucers at apparently meeting a real live magical girl who was also one of the Nerima martial artists that she'd been looking for, nodded mutely in wonder.

Ranma grinned, standing up and gesturing. Follow me then, and I'll show ya somethin' while I get us some fish for breakfast. " He said, making his way towards the small creek that burbled not too far away, Keiko following him. Upon reaching the creek, Ranma knelt down, dipping his hand into the cold water, feeling the change come over him as he shrunk down while certain parts disappeared and others grew, nearly straining her shirt. "What do ya think of that?" She asked, her voice becoming a high soprano.

"WHOA! That's sooo cool!" Keiko exclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder.

Ranma snorted. "Well, I'm glad someone likes it." She said cheekily, taking off her shoes and pulling up the legs of her pants. "I'm gonna catch us some fish now." She said, wading out into the water.

Keiko, sitting down on the shore, blinked. "How are you gonna do that?" She asked, curious, there wasn't a fishing pole anywhere!

"Like this!" Ranma exclaimed, bending forward as her hands blurred, and she snatched two fish out of the water, holding onto them so they wouldn't wiggle out of her hands. Wading back to the shore, Ranma slipped into her shoes and led Keiko back to the camp, where she had a knife in her pack. After killing and cleaning the fish, Ranma spitted them and set them over the fire to cook, then buried the guts away from the camp. "So kid, what can ya tell me about these bad guys? And why won't anyone believe you?" She asked, checking the rice.

Keiko looked down, twiddling her fingers. "Well, I don't really know why, but it's kinda like Miss Hasegawa doesn't notice that the other kids are goin' missing, an' she gets this sorta far-away look in her eyes when someone asks her about it..." She looked into the fire, and began to tremble. "An' not too long ago, I started seein' this scary-looking man at night... He's really tall, and his skin is really white... When he smiles, you can see his teeth, an' two of 'em are really long and sharp looking, but it's his eyes that are really scary..." She whispered frightfully. "An' the last couple of nights, I saw him looking at me..."

Ranma scooted over next to the small, shaking girl, comfortingly placing an arm over her shoulders. "Hey kid, ya don't have ta be scared anymore. I promise that I'll come and take care of the scary monster." She promised solemnly, her mind going over the description that the girl had given her- Whatever it was, it sounded like a vampire, but that was impossible, wasn't it? Those things were only myths! Well, whatever it was, she'd kick it's ass, and good! She determined.

Keiko looked up at Ranma hopefully. "Promise?" She asked.

Ranma grinned. "Of course! There ain't no way I'm gonna let it get away with hurtin' little kids!" She avowed. Reaching over, she lifted the lid on the pot to check the rice, then checked the fish. "Hey! Breakfast is ready!" She exclaimed, hoping to take the little girl's mind off of what had happened.

* * *

Two days later, Akane walked along the road, looking at the map she was holding in her hand. "Hmmm... If I'm reading this right, it looks like Ranma is heading for Fukushima... And if he keeps on this road, then he'll eventually wind up in Iwaki city... But why is he heading there?" She mused out loud to herself. It had been six days now since she'd started looking for Ranma, and felt like she was making good progress. Stopping, she looked around, spotting the remains of a small camp. "Hey! I was right! Ranma's been through here!" She exclaimed happily, guessing that the camp was only a few days old.

Quickly scouting around, Akane soon became confused, finding a smaller set of foot-prints mixed in with Ranma's own, as if made by a small child. "What happened here?" She asked worriedly, seeing the deep impression of a bear's tracks as well- A large one, if the size of the tracks was anything to go by. "Oh Ranma, I hope you're ok!" She exclaimed worriedly.

Deciding to stop for the day, as she'd traveled through the night and into the morning, Akane set up her own camp where Ranma's had been, setting a fire in the pit he'd dug, then set up a pot to boil, adding in another packet of the instant ramen that she'd brought with her. As she sat, waiting for the noodles to cook, a rustling not too far away caught her attention, causing Akane to look up as a giant brown bear, much larger than Mr. Saotome's cursed form, stepped out of the woods, roaring hungrily as it started for Akane.

"Hey! Did you attack my fiancé?!" Akane asked the bear as she remembered the bear tracks, her voice dangerous as her battle aura sprang to life around her.

In response, the bear rose onto it's hind legs and roared again, it's upper lip curling back to expose it's teeth.

Glancing down, Akane got a wicked gleam in her eyes. "You wanna fight me, bear? Ok then, FIGHT THIS!" She yelled, rushing forward and, pulling her right leg back, unleashed a kick with all of her considerable might, catching the bear between the legs. It's eyes crossing, the bear let out a high-pitched whine of pain and fell backwards, futilely trying to relieve the pain to it's most sensitive parts with it's forepaws.

Akane smirked victoriously. "That's for trying to mess with me, you stupid throw rug!" She exclaimed, then looked back towards her food, noticing that the noodles were thoroughly cooked. "Hey..." she said, her voice becoming soft and sweet as she knelt by the bear, which looked up at her in pain and fear. "Your hungry, right? Well, I think I've got something for you..."

For some reason, other than the agony it was already feeling, the bear felt a shiver of fear crawl up it's spine at the overly-sweet sounding human voice.

* * *

Ranma grumbled as she and Keiko made their way into Iwaki, still trying to shake the water from her hair as they walked. "Man, stupid old ladies and their ladles..." She groused, annoyed.

Walking beside Ranma, Keiko giggled. 'What's the matter Ranma-momma? Don't'cha like gettin' wet?" She asked innocently, her eyes dancing with mischief.

Ranma glanced down at Keiko, sighing inwardly- The day before, she'd started calling her Ranma-momma when she was in her girl form, and Ranma-poppa when she was a guy. "Now, I think you know the answer to that." She said, a tic mark forming. Looking up, she spotted something. "However... I know just the thing! And at the same time, we can get your hair washed again!" She exclaimed, scooping Keiko up and rushing towards the bath-house she'd spotted, cackling.

"NOOO!" Keiko screeched, spotting the public bathing house. "I don't wanna bath Ranma-momma!" Two days ago, while stopping in a small town, Ranma had dragged her to the public baths there, where she discovered Keiko's passionate dislike of bathing, something that most kids seemed to share.

"Well too bad squirt! It's time you got a good scrubbin'!" Ranma shot back, paying the worker at the counter. _"Awww man! Funds are gettin' low- I'll have ta find a temp job ta make a quick buck." _She thought to herself as she put her wallet away. "Ok kid, in we go! Ranma exclaimed, hefting a squealing Keiko over her shoulder, then removing a strip of cloth from her pants-pocket and tying it around her eyes before heading into the ladies changing room, quickly storing her pack away, as well as the smaller pack she'd gotten for Keiko. "Ok, get undressed." She ordered, setting Keiko down, then stripping down herself, storing the clothes away with the pack, then grabbing a towel and a bar of the water-proof soap that she'd brought- If she was gonna bathe here, she'd need it! Feeling around, she found where the public-use liquid soaps and shampoos, as well as some buckets were, and loaded up.

"I don't wanna..." Keiko grumbled, but followed the instructions irregardless, grabbing a towel as well, wrapping it around her small frame as she followed behind Ranma-momma into the bathing area. "Ranma-momma? How are ya able to find your way around with that thing tied around your eyes?" She asked, curious.

Ranma grinned down at Keiko. "Ki sense." She replied. "I can kinda see things without actually seein' them usin' my ki. Now sit down." She ordered, gesturing to one of the stools in front of her, feeling around a bit and finding one of the faucets, filling a bucket with cool water.

"I still don't see why I gotta take a bath..." Keiko grumbled unhappily, but complying anyway, stripping the towel off and setting it to the side.

Ranma smirked, dumping the water over the small girl's head, ignoring her slight shriek as she grabbed a bottle of the liquid soap and squirted it into her hands, lathering it up and rubbing it down Keiko's neck and back, leaving the rest for the young girl to take care of herself. "It's because if we don't take baths, we get stinky." She replied. "If your gonna be a martial artist, your gonna work up a sweat constantly, and nobody likes a stinky martial artist, so you've gotta bathe regularly kid." She explained, picking up the bottle of shampoo. "And you've especially gotta have clean hair!" With that, she squirted some of the shampoo onto Keiko's head, and began to massage it in.

After that, Ranma proceeded to fill the bucket again, and dump the cool water over her own head and proceeded to quickly rub the water-proof soap all over her body, then sudsed up her own hair with the shampoo before proceeding to refill both buckets and dump water over both hers and Keiko's heads, rinsing them off. "Make sure to get everywhere." She instructed, handing Keiko a washcloth before taking another to her own body, making sure to scrub thoroughly.

"Yeah yeah..." Keiko sighed, using the washcloth she'd been given, with decidedly less enthusiasm than Ranma-momma. "Ranma-momma? What are you gonna do when we get in the bath? Won't you change back into Ranma-poppa?" She asked, confused.

Ranma grinned down at Keiko, giving her a thumbs-up. "Don't worry squirt, I've got it covered!" She replied, dumping another bucket of water over Keiko, then herself, before getting up and grabbing her towel, setting the bathing supplies aside. "Ok kid, come on, let's get warm!" She exclaimed, going over to the nearest bath, Keiko following close behind. Easing into the water, Ranma sighed in obvious relief. "That's better." She said, a grin forming.

Keiko giggled, sliding into the water beside Ranma-momma. "You really like hot water, don't'cha Ranma-momma?" She asked.

Ranma turned her head down towards Keiko, grinning. "More than you'll ever know kid, more than you'll ever know." She replied.

A nearby woman, spotting the pair, made her way over. "Oh my! What a cute little girl! Is she your younger sister?" She asked, looking towards Ranma.

Before Ranma could answer, Keiko wrapped her arms around her waist, snuggling her head up against Ranma's right breast. "Nuh-uh! Ths is my momma!" She exclaimed.

The woman's mouth dropped open, looking Ranma up and down. "Oh my, I'm sorry! You look a lot younger than I thought you are! I didn't think you were any older than seventeen!" She apologized, blushing slightly at the apparent slip up.

Ranma gazed down at Keiko, slightly annoyed, but figured it was too late to fix anything without making things seem weird. "Hey, don't worry about it!" She replied, turning her head towards the woman. "I'm Ranma Saotome, and this is Keiko. Sorry." She said sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

The woman covered her mouth with the back of one hand and tittered. "Don't worry dear, you don't have to apologize. I'm Ayeka Narutaki, by the way." She replied, smiling. "I must say though, you handled the pregnancy very well! I don't see a stretch mark anywhere!"

This caused Ranma to fall over in the water, twitching, as bubbles spilled from her mouth, drifting up and popping at the top. "I wasn't pregnant with nobody! She sputtered, coming up out of the water.

Keiko nodded, giggling. "I don't have a real momma or poppa. Ranma-momma found me in the woods one night, and rescued me from a big mean ol' bear!" She explained, waving her arms around.

"Oh my!" The woman gasped. "What a story! How did you manage to get away from the bear? Can't those animals run really fast?" She asked.

Ranma, though still flustered, managed to grin. "That lil' thing? Naw, it wasn't tough at all! It only took me a coupla hits ta send it runnin'!" She replied, a triumphant look on her face, Keiko nodding in agreement.

This, of course, caused Ayeka to gasp again. "You were able to beat a bear bare handed? How? I thought only the martial artists of legend could preform such feats! And you are blind yet! That is amazing!" She exclaimed.

Ranma almost fell over again at that last comment. "I ain't blind!" She defended. "Though, that wasn't really nothin'- Any of the guys I fight normally coulda beat that thing just as easily- Wild animals ain't that tough." She explained.

Ayeka raised an eyebrow at that. "You arn't blind? Then why are you wearing a strip over your eyes?" She asked, finding this new topic to be even more interesting than how a girl who didn't look like she weighed more than a hundred and twenty pounds wet could beat a fully-grown mountain bear.

Ranma blushed lightly, scratching the back of her head. "It's so I won't see anyone else naked." She replied, embarrassed.

Ayeka raised an eyebrow at that. "Oho, so you are THAT way." She said, her eyes gleaming with mirth. "I must say, young lady, I applaud you- Not many could muster the will to hide their eyes so that they wouldn't see the naked bodies of those they are attracted to. That is very honorable." She said, clearly impressed.

"It ain't nothin'..." Ranma replied, blushing, and slightly uncomfortable.

Ayeka nodded, smiling. "So, why don't you tell me a little more about yourselves?" She asked.

"Well..." Ranma started.

* * *

Half an hour later found Ranma and Keiko stepping out of the bathhouse. "Ahhh, that felt good!" Ranma sighed, removing the cloth from around her eyes and stuffing it into her pants-pocket. "Now then, ta find some place ta set up camp, and maybe some work..." She muttered to herself, looking around.

"Whoa! Such beautiful, luxurious hair! How it shines under the day sun!"

The sudden, high voice caught Ranma by surprise, and she whirled around, standing protectively over Keiko. Scanning around, she quickly spotted a man standing on top of a light pole. He was a fairly short man, wearing flamboyant purple silk pants that puffed out, and an equally purple open vest, revealing a bare, hairless toned torso to the world. In addition, he had a narrow face that looked almost like it came out of a Shojo manga, with his face framed by lavender-colored hair that came down to his cheek-line. "What's yer problem pal?!" She sneered as Keiko peeked from behind her back.

"Please!" The man called out, leaping from the pole to land a few feet from Ranma and Keiko. "The both of you have such gorgeous hair! You must let Chiruka Kazeaki style it! He will play with it, he will tease the hair, high-lighting it and bringing it to it's full potential!" He exclaimed.

"Hey, stay away you perv! You ain't touchin' nothin'!" Ranma yelled, taking up a fighting stance.

Chiruka raised an eyebrow, pulling out a pair of scissors in one hand and a curling iron in the other. "Oho, so you are a martial artist are you? Have you come to challenge Chiruka Kazeaki to a battle of martial arts hairstyling?!" He demanded. "Oh, the shame, using Chiruka Kazeaki's weakness for beautiful hair against him! Though Chiruka Kazeaki shall not fall victim to your insidious trap! He shall emerge triumphant once again, retaining the title of martial arts hairstyling king!" He exclaimed, snipping the scissors threateningly.

Ranma groaned, palming her face. "Ok pal, first off, the whole talkin' about yourself in third person thing? Really annoying! Second, I ain't here ta challenge ya to nothin'! You related to Kuno or somethin'?" She asked.

Chiruka gasped, dropping his weapons and taking a step back, placing a hand over his heart. "Did Chiruka Kazeaki hear you right?! You know the legendary grandmaster of Kuno style martial arts barbering, Ukataki Kuno?!" He asked in a breathless voice.

Ranma felt her eyebrow twitch at that. "Grandmaster nothin'! I beat up that crazy ol' principal at least once a week!" She exclaimed.

Chiruka gasped at that. "You dare to slander that most honorable man's name in front of Chiruka Kazeaki?!" He leapt back, striking a pose with one foot forward, and his right arm held in front of his body, elbow down and forearm in the air, holding up his index and middle fingers and thumb, and pointing at Ranma with his other hand from over the crook of his elbow. "In the name of the saloon, Chiruka Kazeaki shall punish you!" He exclaimed.

Ranma looked away, disinterested. "Whatever ya freak." She snorted. "I don't even know how ta barber or style, so I can't fight ya at it anyway! C'mon Keiko, let's get outta here before people start thinkin' we're weird for hangin' out with a weirdo." She said, holding out her hand.

Keiko giggled, looking at Chiruka. "I think he's funny!" She exclaimed.

Before they could move a step though, Chiruka appeared in front of them, taking Ranma's free hand up in his own, tears pouring down his face, "A flower such as yourself doesn't know how to style? With such breath-taking hair? Please, let Chiruka Kazeaki teach you! For surely, anything else would be considered a crime against beauty!" He begged.

Ranma sweat-dropped at that. "Listen pal, I ain't got a reason ta learn yer weird style, so just get outta our way and leave us alone!" She ordered.

"Oh, the shame! Chiruka Kazeaki is unable to convince a beautiful young flower of something! Surely he has failed his art!" He cried out.

Ranma jerked her hand away. "I told ya ta leave us alone you pervert! Otherwise, I'm gonna have ta rearrange yer face!" She sneered.

Chiruka looked at Ranma, his eyes calculating. "How about this-" He started. "-Chiruka Kazeaki will teach you martial arts hairstyling for one single day-" He held up one finger, wiggling it to emphasize his point. "-And then, you will take on Chiruka Kazeaki in a match of martial arts hairstyling. If you win, Chiruka Kazeaki promises on his honor as a martial artist hairstylist to leave you alone about your stunning hair. But, if Chiruka Kazeaki wins, you must let him style your hair, and you must take back what you said about the honorable Ukataki Kuno... Or are you too afraid to lose against the great Chiruka Kazeaki?" He asked, his voice devious.

Ranma was about to disagree, when Chiruka threw in that last barb. "Hey! I'm Ranma Saotome, and I don't lose to no one pal!" She snapped. "You wanna challenge? Fine then, yer on!"

"Yay Ranma-momma! Whup his butt!" Keiko cheered, waving her free arm in the air.

Chiruka chuckled. "We shall see." He said ominously.

* * *

"And so, that is how it is done!" Chiruka said grandiosely, putting the last little effects on the latest hairstyle that he was working on, Ranma studying intently, while Keiko sat in a chair not too far away, watching the duo.

"And that's all there is to it?" She asked. Upon getting a nod of confirmation, she grinned ferally. Alright then, this'll be easy!" She crowed.

Chiruka snorted. "Do you think you shall be able to best Chiruka Kazeaki so easily?! Then you shall soon find you are sadly mistaken, and he shall emerge victorious!" He shot back.

Ranma raised an eyebrow. "Alright then, what's the challenge?" She asked.

Chiruka nodded. "Whoever styles the most people by the end of the day wins!" He proclaimed, holding out his hand.

Ranma nodded, taking his hand and shaking it. "I hope yer prepared to lose." She said with a feral grin.

Chiruka grinned as well, "May the best man win!" He exclaimed.

Ranma's eyes widened at that, and a devious idea began to form. "Hey Chiruka, wanna see a magic trick?" She asked.

Chiruka blinked. "And what would that be?" He asked.

"This!" Ranma cried out, running into the back room, grabbing a towel and her pack along the way. A few minutes later, Ranma reemerged, in his male form, with his pig-tail longer and now held together by the dragon whisker as a pony-tail that hung over his shoulder and down his chest, wearing a robe and carrying a large piece of cardboard that he'd found back there. "I'm a guy!" He laughed, running past a shocked Chiruka, heading outside with his pony-tail trailing behind him.

"Yeah! Go Ranma-poppa!" Keiko cheered, pumping her fist into the air while Chiruka ran to the back room to look around.

"Huh-how is it possible?! Chiruka Kazeaki could have sworn that she had breasts! They were so large and out there! How could she really be a taller guy? There are no windows back there to escape out of!" Chiruka exclaimed, stumbling back into the main studio.

Outside, Ranma wasted no time scaling the building and placing the large sign that he'd made up. "Ladies!" He yelled out, getting the attention of quite a few women in the area, including some who had just come from the shop, and was wondering who the young hunk was. Leaping up even higher, Ranma landed on the saloon's roof. Reaching down, he grabbed the belt of his robe and ripped it off, revealing that he was wearing nothing more than a tight Speedo, revealing his well-toned body to the world. "Ranma's Speedy Speedo Styles is now open for business! But for today only! So come in and get your hair styled by me!" He cried out before leaping down, landing on the ground and going back in. Once inside, he grinned at Chiruka. "Prepare ta lose, Shojo boy!" He exclaimed, pointing at the still shocked Chiruka before going over to his chair.

"What did ya do Ranma-poppa?" Keiko asked, touching her bottom lip with one finger as she looked up at him questioningly.

Ranma grinned. "Yer about ta see." He replied. No sooner had the words left his , then a low rumble started, and they all felt the saloon shaking. Seconds later, several women could be seen running for the store, trying to push their way in past one another. "Do me!" one cried, only to have her face grabbed and pulled back. "Oh please, style me, you Adonis!" Yelled another, older woman as they began to make their way inside, several going to Chiruka, but several more heading Ranma's way.

"There's enough of me for all of ya ladies!" Ranma yelled out, already settling two different women in two different chairs, turning them both to where they had the tops of their heads facing him. "Hey Chiruka!" He called out, grinning.

"What do you want?!" Chiruka yelled back, already starting on a woman's hair.

"Watch this!" Ranma exclaimed, picking up a comb and a pair of scissors. "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" With that, Ranma's hands blurred around the two women's heads, his face set in concentration as everyone gasped.

* * *

Mere moments later, Ranma finished with the two women, while Chiruka still wasn't finished with his first. "Hah! Done with the first two!" He exclaimed with a triumphant smirk, while looking down at his handiwork, only to note, with a pang of shock and sadness, that he'd somehow done both women's hair up to look exactly like Akane's cut. "Um, uh, well... There ya are ladies!" He exclaimed in a falsly cheerful voice, grabbing a pair of mirrors to show the women.

"Hey! That's not too bad! You managed to frame my face perfectly!" One of the women said happily, fluffing her hair a bit with one hand while she gazed at herself in the mirror.

The second woman, however, didn't look pleased at all. "Hey! You cut off a lot of my hair! and the style doesn't even fit me!" She snapped unhappily. "Oh, Chiruka-kun, can you manage to fix the butchering that this horrible barbarian did? I promise that I'll never go to another stylist again!" She begged, getting up from the chair and rushing over to the busily working Chiruka.

Chiruka, for his part, glanced at the woman's hairdo then at Ranma. "Madmoiselle, Chiruka Kazeaki will be more than happy to repair the damage to your hair! As a matter of fact..." He stopped styling the other woman's hair for a second, removing his vest and exposing his entire torso. "For today only, Chiruka Kazeaki will happily style the hair of every woman here, for only a quarter of his normal prices! And Chiruka Kazeaki promises that each and every cut will be far more professional than that boy's, who only started learning to style hair today!" He yelled out, giving Ranma a triumphant grin as the ladies in the shop cheered.

Ranma's eyes narrowed- He was losing the crowd, and he knew it. "Ladies! Don't you want your hair cut by me?!" He called out, making sure to strike a pose that he hoped they would find appealing.

"Sorry honeybuns- You're real nice looking and all, but one of Chiruka's styles at a quarter of his normal price is too good to pass up!" One of the ladies called out while the others nodded in agreement and laughed.

"Sorry Ranma, but it seems that you just can't compare to the almighty Chiruka Kazeaki when it comes to martial arts hairstyling! You may have the sex appeal, but not the experience! Are you prepared to surrender yet?" Chiruka asked, seeming to loom over Ranma as he held the back of one hand up to his mouth and laughed.

Ranma ground his teeth, glaring at Chiruka. _'Damn! He's right though, I just don't have what it takes to style women's hair! All I ever really knew ta do was cut my own hair while me 'n pops were travellin', and his as well, while he still had it... An' I really don't know how ta use my looks ta get the ladies ta let me cut their hair... Wait... Usin' my looks... Cuttin' pop's hair... Looks... Hair... That's it!' _He thought, a triumphant grin spreading across his face as yet another hairbrained scheme formed in his mind. "It ain't over yet!" He exclaimed, pointing. "I might not be able ta beat ya at stylin' women's hair, but I've still got an ace up my sleeve!" He crowed, his grin becoming feral.

Chiruka blinked in confusion while the women began to whisper among themselves, wondering what the young hunk was going to do. "Oh? And just how do you propose to beat Chiruka Kazeaki?" Chiruka asked, his interest piqued.

"Like this!" Ranma yelled, grabbing his pack and running into the back room.

"What was that all about? Is he going to just hide out back there?" One woman whispered to another.

Keiko, overhearing the woman, shot her a heated glare, which only served to look cute on her young face, causing several women to awww. "Ranma-poppa ain't gonna lose, believe it! If he says he's got a way ta beat Mr. Purple Hair, then he's gonna beat him!" She exclaimed confidently, crossing her arms over her chest as she harrumphed.

"Now now young lady, you shouldn't talk back to your elders like that." The woman scolded, though smiling- The little girl was just too cute!

"Outta my way!" A high soprano, obviously female voice cried out, drowing out all of the other ladies voices. Looking towards the back room, they were all surprised as the door burst open, revealing Ranma standing there in her female form, and dressed in a black bunny suit, complete with a little white tail, the stockings, and a pair of ears perched on top of her head. "Mua ha ha!" She cackled, rushing past the surprised occupants of the saloon, a megaphone in hand. Reaching the street, she looked around, noting that several guys had stopped dead in their tracks, with their eyes the size of saucers and their mouths wide open, ogling the goreous young bunny girl that had run out into the street. Looking around, Ranma spotted something that made her grin, and she quickly made her way down the street towards the local high-school, where there was currently a baseball game going on. "HEEEY ALL YOU FELLAS!" She yelled, her voice amplified by the megaphone. "IF YOU WANT THIS CUTE 'LIL COTTON TAIL TA CUT YOUR HAIR, BETTER GET YOUR BUTTS OVER HERE TO THE SALOON!" She called out, making sure that they all saw her before she made tracks back to the saloon in question.

Every guy in the area, including the ones on the baseball teams stopped upon hearing her voice, and were standing transfixed as they watched the cute young red-headed girl run towards the saloon. They were watching her so intently that the left outfielder never noticed a still air-borne baseball flying straight for his head, nor did the batter notice when the ball fell to the ground, followed by the outfielder.

There was near total silence throughout the area for several seconds, save for one single cricket, and then a low rumble could be heard, quickly building in tempo as the cheering men stampeded towards the saloon.

* * *

Slipping back in, Ranma grinned triumphantly. "Ready to give up yet, Chiruka?" She snipped, placing her hands on her hips.

Chiruka raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Chiruka Kazeaki sees no customers for you! They are all here with Chiruka Kazeaki!" He replied.

Ranma's grin grew. "Oh yeah? Well, whadda ya call that?" She asked, pointing her thumb over her shoulder, where a veritable sea of men could be seen running towards the saloon, causing Chiruka's eyes to widen to comically huge proportions. "Huh-How?!" He screeched.

Ranma grinned, thumbing her nose. "Well, I figured that if you've got the corner in one market, why can't I have it in another, yeah? Now, if you'll excuse me..." She grabbed up a comb, pair of scissors, and hand-held clippers. "I've got some guys to cut, and some money to make!" She exclaimed, heading back out the door.

"Yeah! Go Ranma-momma!" Keiko cheered while Chiruka and the ladies stood in flabbergasted silence, shocked.

* * *

Outside, Ranma smirked, holding her tools loosely in one hand and the megaphone up to her mouth with the other. "Ok, who wants to get their hair cut by cute 'lil old me?!" She called out, earning a roar of agreeable cheers from the crowd. "Great! It's only five-hundred yen a cut, and I guarantee that I'll even be quick about it! You won't even have to wait for a minute after I get started before I get finished! That sound good to you?! Quick and easy, with no hassle to get it?!" She called out, earning another round of cheers from the surrounding men, completely missing the lecherous looks in their eyes, as well as the possible double entandre of her own words. "THEN LETS GET STARTED!" She yelled before tossing the microphone away and readying her instruments. Leaping up, she spring-boarded off of a light pole and, flipping over in the air, used her Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken speed as she passed over several men, her arms nearly invisible with the speed she was moving at.

Landing in a crouch among the group of men, Ranma smirked as she stood up, and the hair of the men that she'd passed over promptly fell from their heads, leaving them all with crew-cuts. "And THAT is how ya do it!" She exclaimed, earning a round of wild cheers from the men around her, several of them wolf-whistling, and even a few proclaiming their love.

* * *

Six hours later, the saloon was closed, and both Chiruka and a now-male Ranma were laying on the floor, panting heavily. "Yay! Ranma-poppa wins!" Keiko cheered, waving her arms excitedly.

"Huh-how duh-did you duh-do th-that?" Chiruka groaned, rolling over onto his stomach as he stared at Ranma.

Ranma grinned, too tired at the moment to even move. "I'm the best martial artist ever! Ya got better technique than me, that's for certain, but with my Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken trainin', as well as my ability ta focus on more than one target let me do more hair than you. Gawd, those guys were a buncha perverts though! I had ta whup a few for tryin' ta get fresh! It was a good fight though... Hey squirt, how much money did we make?" He asked, turning his head to Keiko.

Keiko looked down at the large rolls of money laying in her lap. "A lot! She chirped happily.

"Indeed!" Chiruka groaned, managing to sit up. "You have defeated me this day, Ranma Saotome, but rest assured that Chiruka Kazeaki shall train, and the next time Chiruka Kazeaki shall be the one victorious!"

"Whatever man." Ranma replied with a tired grin. "I'm the best, an' I don't ever lose!"

"Yeah!" Keiko agreed. "Ranma-poppa is the best! And one day, I'm gonna be the best too!"

Ranma groaned, his head thumping on the floor as Chiruka fell over as well, the duo too tired to move, or even talk anymore right then.

* * *

On top of a building, a few stores away, a figure stood, watching the three inside. "So... the prey comes back into the lion's den, and brings more prey with her." He said, his face splitting in a wicked grin, revealing elongated, vampiric canines.

**-TBC-**

A/N– Whoa! Another chapter finished! Over 7,000 words this time! Tell me what ya think in a review please! ALso, can anyone find the Sailor Moon references in the chapter? XD See how many you can spot!


	12. Chapter 12 Akane Confesses!

A/N– Well then! For my first, and most important note, this chapter marks a turning point, as I am now proudly announcing that I have not one, but TWO betas! So everyone, please give a warm welcome to the beautiful betas, Tendo Rei and Hanyou-Foxgirl! These lovely ladies will be making sure that my slow butt doesn't mess up, and help to make my story better!

On to my second note, I'm sorry for taking so long in putting out this chapter, but, if anyone has been watching the weather recently, you'll have undoubtedly seen that there was an absolutely nasty little storm that has been traveling from Texas to New York, and it decided to hit the North Carolina/Tennessee border on the way, and I happen to live on the NC side of that border! (Seriously, I can walk out of my house, then a mile down the road, turn right, and cross over a mountain, and I'll be in Tennessee- It's not even an hour-long hike!) Anyway, we got about a foot of wet, heavy snow, and it knocked out our power on Friday, and we got it back just twenty minutes ago from when I started typing this- (6:55pm Monday), and it's still an iffy situation- the power can go out again at any time.

On my third note, to those of you who are hoping, or are fans of Twilight- I hate to burst your bubble, but the vampires that are going to be in my story arn't the kind that twinkle, sparkle, shimmer, or shine in the sunlight, and they won't be falling in love with anyone- I don't proscribe to the horrors of Twilight, for I am neither female or prepubescent, and I find nothing arousing, erotic, or sexually stimulating about some weirdo with a skin disorder and a deeply disturbing lust for my neck and blood- In my fic, any and all vampires will be portrayed as the way (I feel) they really are- Evil, soulless demons who only want to feed on us, and are interested in their own pursuits and interests- They are PREDATORS people! There is only one way that they wanna f**k ya and suck ya, and it's definitely NOT the way you want- Unless, of course, you want to become a blood-sucker yourself, or mindless thrall to one.

Fourth- If anyone is wondering if I simply made up Fukushima and Iwaki, I didn't- I actually spent a couple of hours looking up maps of Japan, specifically the parts North of Tokyo, and, incidentally enough, Iwaki is the major city of Fukushima, which is just North of Tokyo.

Disclaimer- Yes! I do indeed NOT own Ranma in any way, shape, or form! Sue me at your own risk, for I shall have you huddling in a corner of the courtroom, screaming nearly incoherently about gerbils and cream-cheese within a mere half-hour of the cases start! Mua ha ha ha!

**-Chapter 12-**

**-Akane Confesses! Keiko, Where Are You?!-**

A bright morning sun began to rise, climbing its way into the sky as its rays washed over the city of Iwaki, in Fukushima. It was shining down on an empty lot, where a small, unassuming camp was set up. Inside of the sole sleeping bag, Ranma stirred, the morning light rousing him from his sleep. His crystal-blue eyes sliding open, Ranma looked around, taking in the surroundings from the camp he had set up two days earlier, then down to the small head of bright yellow hair that was buried into his chest, covered by his arm. A small, happy smile creeping across his face, Ranma lifted his arm, placing his hand on top of the mop of hair. "Hey squirt, it's time to wake up," he said, his voice just loud enough to wake the small girl. "C'mon Keiko, it's time ta face the day!" He went on, tousling her hair.

"Mmm... few... few more... minutes... daddy..." Keiko murmured sleepily, rubbing her face against Ranma's chest, trying to hide from the sun.

Ranma's smile turned into a grin. "Now now, if ya don't get up, we'll miss the breakfast special at that restaurant we found, now won't we? I'd hate ta be late, just because you wanted ta sleep for a while before we went ta get freshened up." He asked, trying to sound innocent, knowing that the place would be serving breakfast for another two hours or so- They had every other time the duo had gone to eat there after all.

As if by magic, Keiko's sea-green eyes snapped open, and she'd turned her head to face Ranma. "Can I get waffles 'n syrup 'n orange juice?" She asked, her wide, innocent eyes sparkling with hope.

Ranma couldn't help but laugh as he ruffled Keiko's hair again. "I'll tell ya what- If ya promise ta take a bath without any complaints, ya can have whatever ya want," he promised, knowing that he'd let her get whatever she wanted anyway.

Keiko stuck out her bottom lip, which quivered, as tears welled up in her eyes. "Do I really have ta take a bath daddy?" She pouted.

Ranma groaned, averting his gaze- That puppy-dog pout of hers oughtta be made illegal! "Now listen, if ya promise not ta complain about takin' a bath, I'll buy ya that dress that ya found yesterday." He replied.

Keiko's eyes widened again, and began to sparkle even more. "The blue one with the sunflowers? Really? Do ya mean it?!" she asked excitedly. Upon getting Ranma's nod of approval, Keiko squealed, wrapping her small arms as far around his chest as she could reach, squeezing him tightly. "Oh thank you Ranma-poppa! Thank you!" She squealed happily.

Ranma chuckled, patting Keiko's back. "Don't sweat it. Just hurry up and get ready so we can go to the baths, and then we'll go grab breakfast before we go buy your dress, alright?" he questioned, lifting Keiko off of himself and getting up, popping his neck, looking over at Keiko as she busied about, getting her things together. He really was spoiling her, he supposed, but he had to admit, the little girl really had grown on him.

Fifteen minutes later their camp was completely packed away, and the last of the dying embers from the night before had dirt poured over them to snuff them out. "Ready for practice?" Ranma asked, looking expectantly at Keiko, who had emerged from a makeshift changing area dressed in a white gi.

"Yes Ranma-poppa-sensei!" The small girl chirped, tightening her belt one last time before sliding into a rough copy of the basic Saotome Anything-Goes stance. "I'm ready!"

Ranma had to resist smacking his forehead. "How many times do I have ta tell ya? When we're practicin', I'm Ranma-sensei- Not 'Ranma-poppa-sensei', or 'Ranma-momma-sensei', just Ranma-sensei, ya got it squirt?" He huffed.

Keiko smiled brightly. "But didn't'cha say that we're supposed ta say things that will make the people we're fightin' mess up? That way it's easier to beat 'em up?" She asked innocently- Then launched herself forward as fast as her lithe, child legs could move her. "Haiyaa!" She yelled, throwing a punch towards Ranma's stomach.

Ranma grinned, using the palm of his left hand to push Keiko's punch out of the way as he danced around her now-open side. "Atta' girl! The madder yer opponent is, the more mistakes they make, and the more holes they leave in their defense! But still, ya gotta try better than that, you left yourself open!" With that, Ranma reached down, tapping Keiko's exposed side a few times, using just enough force so that she would feel the taps, and know where she left herself open.

Keiko giggled. "Stop it Ranma-poppa-sensei! That tickles!" She squealed, spinning around, trying to catch Ranma's knee with a sweeping roundhouse kick, which Ranma dodged by simply leaping over, then sent a flurry of light, slow punches her way for Keiko to block and dodge, to get her used to such things. Blocking the first two, Keiko dodged the last one, hopping back a few times before settling back into her starting position.

"Very good Keiko!" Ranma praised, grinning. "You ready ta go again? Then c'mon ya little tomboy!" he taunted, his legs coiling.

Keiko smiled happily. "That's right! I'm a tomboy, just like Ranma-momma, an' proud of it!" she returned, running forward a few feet, then leaping, just as Ranma did the same.

* * *

Ten miles to the West of Iwaki a pair of figures could be seen, walking along a small, rarely used road. Rather, one was walking, pulling along a cart filled with supplies, and his wife.

"Genma, are you sure Ranma went this way? I'd hate to have to hurt you, just because you are avoiding our child," Nodoka said cooly from where she was sitting in the cart, running her fingers over the cloth covering her katana.

Genma began to sweat, not daring to look back as he pulled the cart along. "Yuh-yes dear, I'm sure of it!" he agreed immediately, not daring to look back, as he was sure that, if he did, Nodoka would immediately tell that he was indeed lying.

_"Damn it boy, why did you have to run away?! I've been leading your mother on a false trail this whole time while trying to figure out a plan to get you back to the Tendos and engaged to one of the girls! My happiness and retirement hinges on this dammit!"_ he thought to himself with an annoyed huff.

"You had better be right, dear, or I may have some rather... pointed... remarks on your tracking abilities..." Nodoka replied, her tone carrying the threat just as well as if she'd drawn her sword.

The sweat rolling down Genma's face became faster and more pronounced. "Uh-Of course dear! Iwaki is where Ranma and I came to shore at when we swam back from China!" He quickly exclaimed. _"I'm better at losing trackers and getting rid of trails, not following them! Damn you Ranma!"_ he cursed in his mind, clenching his right fist and shaking it at the uncaring morning sky.

* * *

Stopping at the Southern-most outskirts of Iwaki, Akane, along with her traveling companion, looked up at some of the taller buildings, a bright smile on her face as she held the large straw hat she was wearing with one hand to keep it from blowing away. "Finally! Iwaki! Ranma, here I come!" She proclaimed. "Are you ready Kuma-kun?" She asked, reaching out and scratching the large brown bear beside her behind one of its ears.

The bear, which Akane had named Kuma shortly after their (for him anyway) painful and disastrous first meeting, growfed in agreement, his long, pink tongue lolling out as he panted happily at getting his ear scratched- It was really starting to itch!

Akane smiled at Kuma. "So, how are we going to find Ranma? This is a pretty big city after all. Do you have any ideas?" she asked, looking at her new pet expectantly.

In response Kuma lowered his head, sniffing at the ground for the other girl-human that had beaten it, quickly catching the often-confusing scent that would switch from male to female.

Looking up at his girl-human, he growfed again, nodding his muzzle up and down, then lowered himself so that she could easily climb up onto his back.

"You're such a good boy Kuma-kun!" Akane said happily, climbing up onto his back. "Ok then, I'll let you lead the way!"

With a grunt of acknowledgment, Kuma rose up on all fours again, and the duo set off after Ranma's scent trail; completely oblivious of the confused (and in some cases scared) pedestrians scattered about, whispering behind their hands as they stared.

* * *

Two hours later, inside of the department store where Keiko had seen the dress, a female Ranma sat in a chair, tapping an index finger on one knee, bemused though happily full. She had almost taken Keiko back to the public baths, considering the mess the little girl had made of herself with the maple syrup, but it had fortunately only been on her face and hands (well, a little had gotten into her hair as well, but who was counting?) Regardless, it had been a quick and simple matter to use some wet paper towels to clean the girl up, and now here they were: Ranma waiting patiently while Keiko tried on the dress that she'd seen, along with a few other sets of clothes, coming out each time to model for her and see if she approved or not.

"Ranma-chan? Is that you?"

The familiar voice caught Ranma completely by surprise, her eyes widening a bit as she turned in her seat, quickly spotting the speaker. "Hey! It's Ayeka Narutaki! How are ya, Narutaki-san?" Ranma asked, a smile forming at running into a familiar face.

Ayeka returned the smile, walking over to Ranma and taking a seat next to her, setting down her own bags. "Oh, I'm alright. Please though, Ranma-chan, we're friends, so you don't need to address me so formally." Ayeka replied, leaning back into the chair. "So, what brings you to this shop? And where is that sweet little girl, Keiko-chan?" she asked, looking around.

Ranma grinned, gesturing towards the changing area. "She's in there, tryin' on some clothes. She didn't have a lot, so I figured I'd spoil her a little an' let her get whatever she wants. She saw a blue dress with sunflowers on it, and she absolutely loved it, so I told her she could get it, along with a couple other outfits," she explained.

"Oh, isn't that so sweet! You're such a good mother," Ayeka praised, impressed. "You really love her, don't you?"

Ranma looked away, her gaze growing distant. "I didn't plan on it, but the kid really grew on me, ya know? I dunno, it's just..." she trailed off.

At that moment Keiko made her appearance, wearing a pair of denim jeans along with a belt that had a heart for a buckle, a green shirt with a drawing of a cute lion on it, a blue-jean jacket over that, and a lime-green baseball cap completing the ensemble. Her bright yellow hair was pulled back into a pony tail so that it could hang out of the back of the cap.

"Whadda ya think of this one Ranma-momma?!" she asked, seeming pleased with the outfit already, spinning around a few times to show it off.

"Heh, looks pretty good kid. If ya want it, it's yours." Ranma promised, not really having an eye for fashion, but it did seem to go good on Keiko.

Ayeka couldn't help but frown a little. "Isn't that outfit a little unladylike? If you go around dressed like that, people will think you're a tomboy," she said, not quite scolding.

Keiko grinned. "That's 'cuz I AM a tomboy! An' I'm proud of it!" she exclaimed, rushing back into the dressing room, poking her tongue out at Ranma and Ayeka before she disappeared,

"Oh my!" Ayeka exclaimed, giggling. "That girl certainly is a tomboy! If she's not careful though, she'll never get a boyfriend like that!" she went on

"Feh" Ranma huffed, crossing her arms under her chest. "If I catch any boy so much as lookin' at her, you better believe I'll twist 'em up!" She growled.

Ayeka giggled some more. "Oh my! I didn't know that you lean more towards being a father than a mother! That's so cute! You know, if you are not seeing anyone, I know this lovely girl who lives a few blocks down and is the same way. She's more of a girl though, so the two of you would make a lovely couple," she said, her voice low and conspiring.

Ranma blanched a bit. The LAST thing she needed right now was some more relationship problems! "Thanks for the help," she said, shooting Ayeka a weak smile, "but I just got out of a relationship, and the breakup was pretty nasty, so I just wanna take a break from that kinda stuff for a while," she said, an obvious undercurrent of sadness in her voice.

"Oh my!" Ayeka gasped, covering her mouth with one hand. "Do you want to talk about it dear?" she asked comfortingly, placing a hand on one of Ranma's knees.

Ranma looked away, a 'no' on her lips, but glancing back at the concerned look on Ayeka's face, she decided that maybe talking about it to someone wasn't that bad of an idea after all. And Ayeka did seem like a tolerant person, as was evidenced by her quick acceptance of Ranma's 'personal choice'.

"Well..." she started, turning her head back to face Ayeka, "yeah, I'll tell ya, but in order for ya ta REALLY understand, there's somethin' I gotta show ya. So if you'll follow me, there's a hot water tap in the bathrooms..."

* * *

Hours later, Ranma and Keiko were walking up a street, Keiko wearing her new jean outfit and carrying a few of her purchases on top of her pack, though Ranma was carrying the majority of them on top of his own pack. "So, did'ja have fun kiddo?" Ranma questioned, looking down at his miniature companion.

"Yup! It was fun!" Keiko chirped, grinning up at Ranma. "It was really funny when you told Mrs. Narutaki about your magical girl change!" she went on, giggling.

Ranma couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, that was pretty funny, wasn't it?" He asked, remembering what happened.

-flashback-

Ayeka gasped, almost fainting when Ranma changed from a buxom young red-head to a tall, incredibly handsome young man with jet-black hair in front of her eyes, his hand still under the faucet

"Oh my!" She gasped as her face flushed, feeling faint. "So you were telling the truth! That is amazing!" she exclaimed, fanning herself.

Keiko, who had come out of the dressing room and accompanied the duo to the bathroom, grinned.

"Yup! It's sooo cool, ain't it? Ranma-poppa has a magical girl transformation, just like those people on tv!" she exclaimed, waving her arms up and down.

Ranma grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as he blushed. "Yeah, sorry 'bout this..." he apologized, looking down.

Ayeka, finally overcoming the shock, couldn't help but smirk a little. "Well, that certainly explains your attraction to women, which makes that fact that you tie a cloth around your eyes to bathe in the public baths all the more impressive. Most boys are perverts, and wouldn't think twice about walking into the girls' baths if they had such a golden opportunity," she praised.

"Well, if I wanna see a naked girl that badly, all I need is some cold water and a mirror," Ranma groused good-naturedly.

Ayeka giggled at that. "Well, that's certainly true!" she replied, her eyes dancing with mirth. "So, gender-changing aside, what were you telling me about?" she asked.

Ranma looked down, his gaze saddening. "Well, it all started a coupla months ago, when me 'n my pops returned from our trainin' trip in China, an' he told me about an arrangement he'd made with an old friend, where I'd be engaged ta one of his girls..."

-end flashback-

Ranma shook his head, banishing the memory. "Keiko, there's somethin' we need ta talk about." he said, his tone becoming serious as they walked.

"What is it Ranma-poppa?" Keiko asked curiously, turning her innocent eyes up to the man that she'd adopted as both mommy and daddy.

Ranma reached down, placing a comforting hand on Keiko's shoulder, and led her over to a bench, where he sat her down.

"I need ta talk to ya about why we're here," he started, crouching down in front of her to look her in the face, "you said there was a monster around here, and that it's been takin' kids from the orphanage you were at. From what ya described ta me, the kinda monster you saw is called a vampire, which sucks the life from people ta feed. Now, what can ya tell me about this thing?" he asked, his tone broaching no other discussion.

Keiko felt a ghostly fear clutch at her as she looked down at her feet. "It was like I told ya, Ranma-poppa, kids started disappearin' from the orphanage an' Miss Hasegawa doesn't seem ta know about it- Whenever any of us tries ta talk about it, she just gets this far-away look in her eyes, an' tells us not ta worry about it, then dismisses us. Me 'n a few of the others tried ta talk to some other adults about it, but they either didn't listen to us, or when they talked to Miss Hasegawa, she'd tell 'em nothin' was wrong and they'd leave. Then, when I saw that thing on tv that talked about you, an' when I noticed the scary man started ta' look at me, I knew I had ta get outta there and try 'n find someone who could help..." She looked up, her bottom lip quivering and her eyes full of unshed tears. "Can you really help Ranma-poppa? You won't get hurt will you? I don't want ya ta get hurt!" she exclaimed.

Ranma grinned, reaching up to ruffle Keiko's hair reassuringly. "Hey kiddo, ya don't have ta worry. I'm Ranma Saotome, the greatest martial artist ta ever live! There ain't a monster that can beat me! So don't sweat it, ok?" he returned.

"Oh daddy!" Keiko exclaimed, reaching out and wrapping her arms around Ranma's neck, hugging him tightly as she cried.

After a few moments of holding Keiko and letting her cry on his shoulder, Ranma finally patted her back.

"Hey kiddo, why don't'cha show me where the orphanage is, so that I can put that mean 'ol monster in his place, yeah?" he prompted.

Keiko pulled back, sniffling. "Are you sure you'll be ok?" She asked, her voice subdued, placing her small hands on Ranma's cheeks.

Ranma grinned. "You bet! That's a promise of a lifetime!" he proclaimed.

Keiko couldn't help but smile a little, despite her tears. "Alright, Ranma-poppa, I'll take you," she said, sliding off the bench and holding out her right hand.

Standing, Ranma kept his grin, and took Keiko's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.

* * *

Akane sat on Kuma's back as the two traveled down a street, lost in thought. So far, Kuma-kun had managed to track Ranma's scent to an empty lot, as well as a public bathing area and a small restaurant. In each instance that she found someone, she would show them a picture of Ranma, in either his girl form or boy form, and each time, she would get confirmation that Ranma had indeed been there only hours before.

"Oh my, that's such a large bear!"

The sudden exclamation caught Akane off guard, snapping her from her thoughts with a startled squeak of surprise. Looking around, she spotted the speaker. A pretty, slightly older woman wearing a dress, stood just a few feet away and looked at Akane and Kuma with a mild, surprised interest, carrying an air about her that said she'd already been surprised several times recently, and wasn't caught off guard by another one (even if it happened to be a girl riding upon the back of a huge brown bear)

Akane smiled, patting Kuma on the side of his neck. "Yeah, Kuma-kun might look scary, but he really is just a big teddy bear." She giggled, earning a huff of annoyance from Kuma. Sliding down off of his back, Akane landed lightly on her feet. "Excuse me, miss...?" she started.

The woman smiled kindly. "Oh, where are my manners? I am Ayeka Narutaki, it's a pleasure to meet you," she said.

Akane nodded. "It's nice to meet you as well, Narutaki-san!" she exclaimed, bowing slightly before reaching into her pack and rummaging around for the pictures of Ranma. "My name is Akane Tendo, and I was wondering if yo-"

"Akane Tendo?!" Ayeka gasped, interrupting Akane. Her eyes narrowed.

Akane looked up, tilting her head to the side confusedly. "Yes? That is my name. Is something wrong?" She asked, blinking a few times.

"I'll say!" Ayeka ground out, an annoyed look on her face. "Ranma-chan happens to be a friend of mine, and she told me about what happened between the two of you, you horrid girl! How could you treat someone as sweet as Ranma-chan like that? Don't you know how bad you hurt her? The girl was devastated! What do you want with her now? To hurt her some more?!" she lashed out, her icy tone biting.

Akane teared up. "You know Ranma? Please, tell me where she is! I've gotta talk to her! Please?" she begged, clasping her hands in front of her.

Ayeka snorted, turning her nose up as she looked away from Akane. "Why should I tell you anything? So that you can find her and hurt her again? I don't think so," she snapped, her tone haughty.

"Please Narutaki-san! You don't know the whole story!" Akane begged, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

Ayeka looked at Akane from the corner of her eyes. "Well, I've already received quite a few surprises today, such as the fact that Ranma-chan is really a boy, so why don't you try me? Who knows, if you make it believable enough, I might tell you which direction they set off in," she said.

Akane brightened slightly. "Really?" she asked hopefully. Upon getting a nod of confirmation, she sighed in relief. "Well, it all started when I found this really pretty broach..."

* * *

Ranma looked up at the orphanage as the sun began to set behind it, a large, three-story western-style house, thumbing his nose confidently.

"You ready for this?" he asked, looking down at Keiko, who looked back up to him and nodded wordlessly. "Alright, let's do this then!" he exclaimed, starting up the front steps. Keiko walked right behind him, hiding. Reaching the front door, he knocked, his knuckles falling heavily upon the oaken front door.

"Hello?!" he called out loudly, "is anyone here?!"

A few seconds later several noises could be heard from inside, along with hushed voices. After waiting for almost a minute the door opened, revealing an older, motherly woman who was fairly short and on the plump side. "Hello? How may I help you young man?" she asked, her tone suspicious.

Ranma grinned easily. "Well, while I was travellin' the other day, I ran across this squirt here-" he said, moving to the side just enough to show off Keiko, "-anyway, she told me a funny story, and I figured that I'd help her out. Mind if we come in?" he asked, his tone light.

"Keiko!" The woman gasped. "My goodness child, where have you been? I've been so worried about you! You shouldn't run off like that you know! Please, come in, come in!" She gestured.

Ranma grinned again, chauffeuring Keiko inside. "You must be Miss Hasegawa, I take it?" he asked as Keiko grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly as her eyes darted around, frightful.

Miss Hasegawa bowed politely. "That I am. Thank you so much for bringing little Keiko back, we were all so worried! I cannot offer you much in way of a reward, but we can offer you a hot meal and a warm place to sleep tonight," she suggested.

Ranma shook his head. "Hey, don' think anything of it- I had fun travellin' around with Keiko. That's not the reason why I'm here though..." he started, looking around.

"Oh? What can I do for you young man?" Miss Hasegawa asked, looking confused.

"Weeell..." Ranma drawled, "my lil' Keiko here told me a really great story... Something about monsters, and kids goin' missin'..." He looked up at the ceiling. "So tell me, Miss Hasegawa, where are the kids?" he asked, his tone deceptively light as he turned his gaze back to the older woman.

"Wh-" Miss Hasegawa started, only to stop suddenly as her shoulders slumped, and a vacant look came into her eyes. "The children are fine, there is no one missing," she said, her voice monotonous.

Ranma's eyes narrowed as he studied Miss Hasegawa intently. Something was definitely off about her aura; it was fine a second ago, but now he could detect the slightest feeling of...something... It felt like ki, but it was so unnatural, so cold, like it was missing the spark of life.

"Izzat so?" He asked, observing her even more closely. There was something... There! A brief flash of silver in the light caught Ranma's attention. Observing more closely, he spotted a deceptively small thread, running from the back of Miss Hasegawa's neck to a wall on the other side of the hallway.

"Ranma-poppa?" Keiko asked uncertainly.

"Keiko." Ranma smiled warmly as he knelt down, pulling her into a tight hug. "I want ya ta go hide, ok?" he whispered in her ear. Getting a nod, he stood back up as Keiko ran off, his aura springing to life around him before pulling in. It sank into his skin as he activated the Iron Body technique wordlessly.

"Well then, Miss Hasegawa!" he said loudly. "It seems like everything is fine, so I'll just be making my leave now, ok?" He silently made his way to the wall where the thread was coming from.

"Yes, ok, thank you." Miss Hasegawa continued, her tone still empty.

"Well..." Ranma started, then swung around suddenly, slamming his fist through the wall. Feeling something squirming beneath his groping fingers, he latched on with an iron grip.

"GOTCHA!" he roared, jerking with all of his might. Ripping whatever it was out of the wall, he flung it down the hallway, where it smacked into the wall beside the front door. "Stupid monster! Ya thought ya could pull one over on the great Ranma Saotome huh? Well HAH!" he crowed, placing his hands on his hips as he glared at the dark figure huddled on the ground.

"Well well well... I didn't think that a measly human would be able to find me, let alone pull me out like that...very good, boy." The dark, sultry voice drifted through the air as the figure slowly got up, revealing herself to be an incredibly tall, shockingly beautiful woman with dark auburn hair and deathly pale skin. She wore a tight, full-bodied blood-red leather suit. Pulling herself to her full height— which was even taller than Ranma— she regarded him with dead, crimson eyes, a smile tugging at her pale lips and revealing impossibly long canines.

"Aren't you just a tall drink of water? I've got to say, that was very impressive, how you found me," she said, her tone seductive.

Ranma faltered, feeling a slight blush start, but crushed it down brutally.

"That's 'cuz I'm Ranma Saotome, the best there is," he boasted, pointing his thumb at his chest proudly. "But..." he started, losing his bolster as his eyes took on a deadly serious look, "what're ya doin' here? Feedin' on these kids? I can't allow that," he said, his voice becoming cold. "Anyone that hurts a little kid has gotta pay!" With that, he slid into a fighting stance, eyeing his opponent.

The vampire threw her head back, laughing throatily. "Foolish boy! Do you think you can take on Suki, Queen of the Damned? I'll show you the folly of your decision," she said, her eyes narrowing as she crouched down. She held her hands out to her sides, curling her fingers into claws. Just as she was about to pounce, however, she suddenly stopped, cocking her head to one side, as if listening to something. "Awww... Looks like we won't be able to play, little boy- my master has already marked you for his own," she said, pouting.

This threw Ranma off. "Huh? What're ya talkin' about?" he asked, confused.

Suki continued to pout. "My master wants you for himself, so he has forbidden me from fighting you. So sorry, but it looks like I won't be tasting your blood tonight," she said, straightening up, "well, since my cover is blown, I must bid you adieu. Farewell!" she exclaimed, suddenly flinging herself to the side, through a window.

"WAIT!" Ranma roared, rushing towards the window. When he got there though, she was already gone. "DAMN IT!" he swore loudly, banging his fist against the window seal. "Tch, almost had her." he grumbled, snapping his fingers in frustration. Hearing a groan, he turned around, spotting Miss Hasegawa lying on the ground, where she'd fallen after Suki's spell had been broken. "Miss Hasegawa! Are you alright?!" Ranma questioned, rushing to her side.

"Ohhh... The children... Please... The children..." The older woman moaned, covering her face with her hands.

"Don't worry 'bout it, I'm here now," Ranma soothed, propping Miss Hasegawa up with one hand.

"Wh-who are you?" Miss Hasegawa moaned, uncovering her face to stare blearily up at Ranma.

Ranma grinned. "I'm Ranma Saotome, the best martial artist ta ever live, ma'am. I came here ta help after findin' Keiko- She explained everything ta me," he replied.

"Oh lord, the children! Please, are they ok?!" Miss Hasegawa begged, grabbing onto Ranma's shirt. "Can you help us? I can't do anything against those horrible monsters!" She sobbed.

Ranma patted Miss Hasegawa on the shoulder reassuringly, feeling awkward- he never was good at dealing with crying women after all.

"Hey, don' worry about it, yeah? I'll make sure ta drive those monsters off!" he proclaimed, thumping his chest with one hand.

"Oh thank you!" Miss Hasegawa exclaimed, wrapping Ranma up in a tight hug.

"Yeah yeah, it's ok." Ranma replied, embarrassed. Looking up, he saw several children crowded around one of the doorways, peering out with young, frightened faces, with Keiko standing at the head of the group.

"You ok kiddo?" he asked, shooting Keiko and the other children an easy grin while pulling himself away from Miss Hasegawa's grasp.

Keiko teared up, her bottom lip quivering. "Ranma-poppa! I was so scared!" She cried out, throwing herself into his arms, sobbing into his shoulder.

Ranma smiled a little, circling his arms protectively around the small, quivering girl and rubbing her back reassuringly.

"It's ok, the scary lady is gone for now, ya don't need ta worry," he cooed softly, rocking back and forth slightly. After Keiko was sufficiently calmed down, Ranma finally peeled her away, winking at her. "Hey, don't worry yer lil' head, I'll protect you all," he said confidently.

* * *

Outside, in a tree nearly a block away and enshrouded in shadows, a lithe figure grinned, his teeth glinting. "Well, it seems this is some prey that could prove interesting, eh, Suki?" he asked.

Summoned, Suki appeared, hanging upside down on a branch a few feet away, her arms crossed. "I don't know who this 'Ranma Saotome' is, but for a human, he's incredibly strong- More than twice as strong as any human that I've ever faced before. We might want to be wary of this one master, he may have been holding back," she said.

The shadowy figure's grin grew even wider. "I doubt that. He may be strong, but nothing short of a master-level mage could hope to take on one of our kind and win, let alone myself. No, I think that I will enjoy playing with this one. However-" His eyes narrowed as he watched Ranma get up and walk towards the front door, then straying back to Keiko. "-Some incentive for him to come to me is in order. She will make the perfect bait. Now go, and make sure that everything is prepared at the club. I'll want to give our 'guest' a proper welcome after all," he ordered.

"Your will be done, master," Suki replied, bowing, then disappeared.

The figure turned his gaze back to Ranma, who was outside doing some stretches, then over to a girl and... a bear? How odd... walking up the street, approaching the orphanage. His grin returning the figure slipped from the tree, suppressing his energy signature as he crept, as silent and deadly as a hunting panther, towards the back of the orphanage.

* * *

Peeking over its wall, Akane looked up uncertainly at the large, old-looking western-style house. "Kuma-kun, are you sure this is the way? This doesn't look like the kind of place that Ranma would go to," she remarked, unsure, as they approached the gate.

Kuma, for his part, looked affronted that his girl-human would doubt his sense of smell, huffing in annoyance. Of course he was sure that this was where the other boy-girl-human was!

Akane couldn't help but giggle a little, rubbing the back of Kuma's neck. "I'm sorry for doubting you Kuma-kun," she soothed, "but what will Ranma say when he sees me?" Finally reaching the entrance, Akane turned to enter the yard, stopping dead in her tracks. "Ruh-Ranma?" she gulped, her voice little more than a whisper as she saw her fiancé, his back to her as he ran through a kata.

Hearing that sweet, heavenly voice stopped Ranma dead in his tracks, one foot still raised high in the air. Quickly putting it down, he whirled around, finding Akane standing there, her hands clasped together in front of her chest, and her eyes brimming with tears.

"Akane?" He asked, blinking in surprise.

"Oh, Ranma!" Akane cried out, rushing forward, her arms held out as she attempted to grab him in a hug, only for Ranma to dodge out of the way. "Ranma?" She asked tearfully, looking over at him, confused.

"What the heck are you doin' here Akane? Did'ja come back just ta torture me some more?" Ranma snapped, his gaze hard-set. "What, didn't ya get enough when ya kicked me outta your house and ended the engagement? Now ya gotta hunt me down an' make me suffer again? Is that it?! Is that all my feelin's are to ya? Somethin' ta play with?!" he growled.

"NO!" Akane yelled, collapsing to her knees,"please Ranma, just let me explain!"

Ranma turned his back on Akane, crossing his arms with a huff as he started to walk off. "Feh, it seems ta me like ya said it all back at yer house," he snapped.

Sensing the distress that his girl-human was in, Kuma approached the boy-girl-human, growling menacingly. He'd show him who was Alpha around here!

Hearing the growl, Ranma turned his gaze to Kuma, recognizing him. "What the hell do you want? Another beatin'?" He growled dangerously, his aura flickering around him as his gaze turned icy.

Yelping, Kuma turned tail and ran, quickly making his way behind Akane where he tried to make himself as small as possible. He placed his paws on her shoulders, quivering and whimpering pitifully.

"Please Ranma, just listen to me! That wasn't really me!" Akane begged, reaching out for Ranma, who stopped, though his back was still turned.

"What're ya talkin' about Akane? It sure seemed like ya to me." Ranma said shortly.

"That's because it was me!" Akane cried, "but it wasn't the way that I really was! I found a brooch, and put it on, but it was a cursed brooch that makes people act the opposite way they really feel about someone!" she explained hurriedly.

Ranma twitched. "A cursed brooch ya say? Where did ya find it?" he asked slowly.

"It was at the bathhouse that we went to!" Akane exclaimed, relief flooding through her that Ranma was actually listening to her. "It was Nabiki that figured it out the next day, and Cologne confirmed it! Apparently, Happosai stole it a long time ago, and Cologne thinks that he was going to use it on someone in the bathhouse when I found it!"

Ranma stroked his chin thoughtfully- That certainly did make sense- More than anything else he could think of anyway. Finally, his shoulders slumped. "Akane..." He started, his voice heavy with sadness.

Turning to her, he locked his gaze with her own. "It really hurt me, y'know?" he said quietly, "the only reason why I'd never pushed any of the others away before was 'cuz I didn't wanna lose them as friends, but, more importantly, I didn't know how ya really felt about me... But then I took a chance, and found out that ya did care for me... But then that night came, an' it shattered me, y'know? How can I trust ya ta not do something like that again?" he asked, his voice a whisper.

Without warning, Ranma found Akane in his arms, pulling his head down with her hands as she hungrily crushed her lips against his, causing Ranma's pig-tail to stand up. After a few seconds of thoroughly kissing him, Akane finally broke it, pulling back a few inches.

"Because I love you more than anything else, you idiot, and I couldn't bear the thought of hurting you." she said quietly, smiling a little as tears tracked down her face. She leaned in again and kissed Ranma, though much softer this time.

After a moment, the two broke apart again, Ranma blinking dazedly, a silly grin threatening to break out. "Ah-Akane, uh-I-" He started, only to stop abruptly as Akane placed a silencing finger on his lips.

"Shhh, you don't have to say anything Ranma," Akane said quietly, staring soulfully into his eyes.

The two simply stood there in each other's arms, their gazes locked as they stared at one another, unable to say anything while Kuma sat off to the side, tilting his head in confusion. Suddenly, screams cut through the night air, startling the two out of their reverie.

"Daddy! HELP!" Keiko screamed, followed by a resounding crash.

"KEIKO!" Ranma screamed, rushing up the front steps, Akane following behind. He busted through the front door and ran down the hall, towards the kitchen. Rushing in, he spotted Miss Hasegawa, laying on the floor, a shocked, terrified look on her face as she gazed at the broken back window. The other children were scattered about, crying. "What happened?!" He yelled, startling them.

"Uh-It wuh-was huh-HIM!" Miss Hasegawa managed to choke out. "Huh-He said... Said th-that huh-he'd be wu-waiting fuh-for you at…" she stopped, breathing heavily, "-at thuh-the aba-abandoned club... A muh-mile north from here," she stuttered, tears welling in her eyes, "he took Keiko!"

"THAT BASTARD!" Ranma roared angrily, rushing towards the window and grabbing hold of the sides.

"Ranma! Where are you going?!" Akane exclaimed, running towards him, followed by Kuma, who was trying to squeeze through the door.

Ranma shot a look back at Akane. "To get my daughter back!" He yelled.

And then he was gone, disappearing into the night.

**-TBC-**

A/N– Whew! My longest chapter yet! And my personal favorite so far! Tell me what ya think! And, if ya wanna raise any complaints about Kuma, just remember- Not only is this a work of fanfiction, but this is a work of fanfiction in the Ranma 1/2 universe! 'Nuff said.


	13. Chapter 13 Ranma's Rage, Unleashed!

A/N– Well then! Here is the chapter that everyone has been waiting for! Thanks so much to my beautiful betas, Hanyou-foxgirl and Tendo Rei for their most excellent work!

Also, thank you everyone, who has read and enjoyed my story thus-far, especially those of you who have reviewed! Over twenty thousand hits, and one-hundred and seven reviews! Awsome!

Now then, onto the story! (And no, I don't own Ranma 1/2)

**-Chapter 13-**

**-Ranma's Rage, Unleashed!-**

"Ranma! Where are you going?!" Akane exclaimed, running towards him. She was followed by Kuma, who was trying to squeeze through the door.

Ranma shot a look back at Akane. "To get my daughter back!" He yelled.

Then he was gone, disappearing into the night.

Akane screeched to a halt, her eyes widening in shock as she pulled up short of the window. "Hi-His... Daughter?" She gulped, covering her mouth with her hands. When had it happened?! How could Ranma have a daughter?! Akane shook her head, trying to clear away the confusing questions that were running rampant through her head- whoever the little girl was, she needed help!

"Ranma! I'm coming!" Akane yelled, starting through the window. "Kuma-kun, come on!" She called out over her shoulder, then leapt out the window after Ranma.

Kuma ran up to the window as well, peering helplessly through the too-small portal. With a whine he pulled his head back and turned around clumsily in the kitchen, paying no need to the human-cubs and the human-woman, and started back for the door, which he could squeeze through, stopping on the way to quickly snatch a piece of fish off of the table before continuing on.

* * *

Ranma ran, stretching his senses to their very limits, catching just the faintest hint of the abnormal ki as he followed it North. Several buildings blurring beneath his feet as he flew over them, roof hopping.

"Hold on kiddo, I'm comin'! An' when I find ya, I'll make 'em pay!" He thought fiercely, putting on another burst of speed as he reached inside of his shirt and fumbled for the button on his restraining gear, disengaging it, letting the gear flop uselessly in his clothes- he'd worry about taking it out when he got the time.

After several moments Ranma finally stopped on top of a building, staring across an empty intersection towards an old, condemned building surrounded by a concrete fence, the feeling of the unnatural ki surrounding the entire complex. Looking down, he noted a single guard standing out front, just inside of the outer wall, blatantly holding a pistol in open view for everyone to see. There was something odd about the young man- He had an unnatural ki as well, but it was different, even more lifeless than that of the vampires, and his skin had a shrunken, shriveled look to it.

_"That guy, he's already dead..."_ Ranma thought to himself, pulling his training device from inside his clothes and tossing it casually down on the roof he was standing on.

Cracking his neck once, Ranma leapt down from the roof, landing with cat-like grace on the sidewalk in front of the dilapidated building. He straightened up as he started for the front entrance, his hands hanging loosely at his sides.

The guard, noticing Ranma coming, let out a long, rattling moan, quickly pulling up the pistol, only for Ranma, who was already upon it, to slam the back of his fist into the side of the ghoul's head, smashing it through the wall it'd been close to.

"HEEEY!" Ranma called out, leaving the ghoul hanging half-out of the hole its body had made. "I WANT KEIKO BACK, YOU BASTARD! HAND HER OVER, AN' I PROMISE THAT I WON'T KICK YER ASS!"

A cruel, mirthless chuckle emanated from the darkness of a partially collapsed wall on the fourth story of the building.

"Is that so?" asked a sophisticated, accented voice. A second later, a tall, well-kept man stepped from the shadows, holding Keiko in the crook of one arm, where she dangled limply. He was a tall, deathly pale man of nearly seven feet, with short-swept, white hair and glowing red eyes, dressed in a black tuxedo.

"This is who you want? This cattle?" he asked, using his other hand to lift Keiko's head, showing that the small girl was clearly unconscious.

"KEIKO!" Ranma yelled, clenching his fists as he started forward.

"Ah ah!" The vampire warned, cupping Keiko's chin. "You wouldn't want me to snap her pretty little neck, would you?" he asked threateningly, a smirk playing across his lips as Ranma backed down. "I must say, you have caught my interest boy- I do not believe I have ever encountered a human before who was quite as strong as you. Tell me, what is your name? Mine is Sergei Romanov." he offered pleasantly.

"My name's Ranma Saotome, an' I'm the guy that's gonna kick yer ass if ya hurt one hair on Keiko's head." Ranma growled, cracking his knuckles.

Sergei threw his head back, laughing. "Oh really? Is that so?!" He asked, grinning. "Then you'd better be prepared to 'kick my ass', as you put it, because I have already bitten the girl!" He laughed even harder.

"WHAT?!" Ranma roared, taking a step forward.

"That's right!" Sergei crowed, tilting Keiko's head so that Ranma could clearly see the two puncture wounds in the side of her neck. "And soon, the girl shall die, and become an undead under my thrall!" he went on, sneering.

"How?!" Ranma asked, a slight edge of panic creeping into his voice.

Sergei grinned. "Why? Do you really want to know?" he asked, sitting down on the ledge, Keiko held loosely in his lap.

"I thought a vampire had to drain someone of all their blood to do something like that!" Ranma countered.

Sergei threw his head back, laughing. "Normally that is true!" he exclaimed, his head snapping back down to look at Ranma. "However... I am different. I am an evolution of my species." He looked down at Keiko, stroking her hair. "While I do enjoy the sweet ambrosia that is human blood, all I need is a taste to create a link with my prey, and from there on, until they die, I feed off of their ambient life energy, draining it from them constantly. It is a rather beautiful system, if I do say so myself," he explained, his eyes darting back to Ranma.

"You bastard!" Ranma snarled, clenching his fists, but then lowered them again, looking down at the ground. "How about a deal?" he asked, his voice subdued.

Sergei cocked an eyebrow at that. "A deal, you say?" he asked, intrigued. "What sort of deal could a human like you possibly have to offer me?"

"If ya promise ta let Keiko go, and cut off that link or whatever, ya can have me in her place, and I won't even try 'n fight." Ranma promised, looking up into Sergei's eyes.

Sergei chuckled, clapping. "Bravo! Foolish human sentimentality at its absolute most disgusting!" he cheered, a sneer on his face. "I think not, boy. You see, when I saw you, I knew there was something special about you, and I have been oh so bored lately. No, I want you to amuse me before I take your blood, so there is no deal." He shot back.

"It's yer grave then, pal." Ranma growled, his ki roaring to life around him in a tight, controlled blaze.

Sergei grinned. "Good, good! That's exactly what I want from you boy! Show me what you can do, young martial artist! Prove to me that I was right to choose you! Do not think it shall be easy though, the hero must always go through the legions of evil minions before he can face off against the final boss! So come, see if you can defeat my pets, and find me!" he exclaimed, snapping his fingers.

Immediately, several forms jumped from the windows of the building, landing all around Ranma, revealing themselves to be a multitude of ghouls headed by Suki, who grinned wickedly and cracked a whip.

"Well well, it looks like we get to play this time, boy," she purred, cracking her whip.

"Fare thee well, young human!" Sergei laughed, rising to his feet. "Provide me with some entertainment!" With that, he leapt back, disappearing into the darkness.

"SERGEI YOU BASTARD!" Ranma roared, leaping up towards the fourth floor, only for several ghouls to jump in his way, forcing him to lash out and knock them away, but stopping his ascent all the same. "Get outta my way, or I'll kill you," he growled dangerously, landing a few yards away from Suki.

Hearing that, Suki threw her head back, laughing gaily. "Do you honestly think you can beat me?" she asked derisively. "Boy, I am three times stronger and faster than any human athlete at the peak of their condition, And, while strong, you are just a boy! What do you think you could possibly do?!" she went on, laughing.

"I'll show ya what I can do!" Ranma growled dangerously, taking a threatening step forward.

Suki pulled back, feeling an instant of hesitating intimidation at the look in Ranma's eyes, then firmed herself up and pulled her whip taut in her hands.

"Bring it on then!" she yelled, rushing towards him, only to have to dodge at the last second as a huge slab of concrete came sailing past, narrowly missing her. "WHAT?!" She screeched, looking back as the slab crushed a ghoul.

"Huh?!" Ranma grunted confusedly, looking back over his shoulder, spotting Akane standing at the entrance to the grounds, panting slightly, with a pleased expression on her face. "Akane! What are you doin' here?!" he asked.

Akane got her breathing under control, straightening herself up. "I'm here to help you dummy! Now go rescue that girl, I'll take care of the perverted dominatrix over there," she proclaimed.

Ranma looked up at the hole that Sergei had disappeared into, then back at Akane, clearly torn. "But what about you?!" he asked desperately.

Suki snarled, not used to being so ignored. "Hey you pathetic human! How dare you throw things at me!" she yelled, snapping her whip out at Akane.

Akane, sensing the danger, snapped her hand up, catching a part of the whip in her hand as the head wrapped around her wrist. "Hey! Didn't your mother ever teach you not to interrupt people when they're talking?!" she yelled, giving a mighty pull on the whip.

" Wh-" Suki started, suddenly finding herself airborne as she was jerked towards Akane, who punched out with her other fist, catching the vampire squarely in the stomach and folding her over with a pained grunt. Akane looked past the doubled-over woman, grinning at Ranma. "Don't underestimate me Ranma, I'm a martial artist too!" she exclaimed, kicking Suki hard enough to send her careening against the building with an audible thud.

Ranma still looked pensive, staring at Akane's determined face. "Akane-" he started, "you'd...you'd better not die on me, ok?! If ya do, I'll be really pissed at ya!" he yelled, turning his back and leaping away towards the collapsed wall on the fourth floor.

Akane watched her fiancé as he landed, then disappeared into the darkness. "Just you watch Ranma, I'll show you that I really am a martial artist!" she vowed, clenching her fists together.

Suki got up, rubbing her stomach as she glared murderously at Akane. "You shouldn't have let him go on ahead you little bitch! Now you're all alone, without any help at all! RIP HER TO SHREDS!" she screeched, waving her hand.

With a collective moan, the surrounding ghouls stumbled a few times, and then suddenly rushed forward at amazing speed, raising their arms to club Akane to the ground. Akane, sensing them all about, couldn't help but smirk as she closed her eyes. This was all too familiar, but with murderous monsters instead of teen boys with raging hormones. Her eyes snapping open, Akane thrust an elbow back, smashing in the face of a ghoul and sending it stumbling back, then kicked forward, catching another in the chest. She used that one as a spring-board to kick off, spinning around and catching a third in the side of its head, sending it rolling away. Rearing back, Akane was about to punch another when suddenly Suki's whip cracked out, wrapping around her wrist.

"Hah! You can't escape now human!" Suki crowed, "get her, my pets!"

Moaning, one of the ghouls leapt into the air, preparing to bring its arms down on Akane. "Damn!" she cursed, preparing to kick it, only to be jerked off-balance by Suki.

"_This is going to hurt!_" Akane thought, bracing herself. Before the ghoul could strike though, a loud roar shattered the night air and the creature was swatted aside by a paw nearly as large as its torso, sending it flying across the open ground.

"Kuma-kun!" Akane exclaimed in relief, seeing the titanic bear standing on his hind legs a few feet behind her.

"Damn it all! How many of you pests are there?!" Suki snarled, snapping her whip back before Akane could pull her in for another hit.

Akane grinned at Suki. "You don't have to worry, because I'm gonna beat you right here! Let's get 'em Kuma-kun!" she yelled, Kuma roaring in agreement.

* * *

Ranma rushed through the darkened hallways, the only illumination coming from what moonlight could filter through, as well as his own ki.

"SERGEI! WHERE ARE YOU?!" He roared, his eyes darting around as he felt out for the unnatural ki that his opponent possessed.

In response, a hearty chuckle emanated from a hall just to his left, causing Ranma to whirl towards the sound. He spotted Sergei standing half-way down it, grinning from ear to ear while cradling Keiko's unconscious form under one arm.

"Well..." he lolled, his tone lazy and relaxed, "it seems the proverbial young hero managed to get some help, yes? Is this child honestly that important to you?" he asked, holding Keiko up.

"Yes." Ranma ground out, getting into a ready stance. "Are ya gonna give her to me and let go of her life force?" he shot back.

Sergei grinned toothily. "Can you take her from me?"

In response, Ranma darted forward, throwing a straight punch at the vampire's face, only for Sergei to knock it away and respond with a kick of his own towards Ranma's mid-section. Rolling around the attack, Ranma punched out again, narrowly missing Sergei's chest.

"_Now!_" Ranma thought, opening his hand and making a grab for Keiko.

"No you don't!" Sergei exclaimed, pulling Keiko away at the last second, while knocking Ranma's arm away with his free hand. Quickly, the two got into a fierce exchange as Ranma lashed out with a series of punches and kicks, Sergei narrowly blocking each attack with his free hand, making sure to keep Keiko well out of the teen's reach the entire time.

"I must say!" The vampire whistled appreciatively. "I've never met a human quite as strong or as fast as you! Most impressive young man, you are easily twice as strong and fast as any human I've ever met before!" he said happily, his left foot kicking out suddenly, snapping against Ranma's face and knocking him down the hall. "However, you should know that I myself am five times stronger and faster than any world athlete, you have no chance boy!" he crowed.

Ranma got up from where he'd fallen, wiping away a small trickle of blood from his cut lip. "Is that so?" He asked, straightening back up. "Well... since it seems like I really don't have any chance against ya then... is there any way you could release Keiko?" he asked, his voice subdued as he looked down at the floor.

Sergei looked disappointed at that. "Just because I am more powerful than you could ever hope to be, you are giving up? That is no fun!" he grumbled. "Though, I suppose I could humor you... To answer your question, there is one way..." He grinned maliciously as Ranma looked up hopefully. "For the link to be severed, either she has to die, or me. There is no other way," he said coldly.

Ranma raised an eyebrow at that, popping his knuckles. "That so? Heh, thanks, that's all I needed ta know," he ground out, a smirk playing across his lips.

Sergei was taken aback. "What are you playing at?" He asked guardedly.

Without warning, Keiko was suddenly snatched from his arm, and Sergei was barely able to avoid a palm-strike to the side. Leaping away as he looked back, Sergei spotted an older, bespectacled man wearing a dingy gi and bandanna standing there with Keiko held firmly in his arms.

"Damn, I missed." Genma groused.

"Pop?!" Ranma asked, confused. "Where the heck were ya? I didn't even see ya there!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, who are you, and why do you take my prey from me?!" Sergei snarled, crouching on a counter.

Genma pushed his glasses up with one finger. "I unsealed my forbidden school of Umisenken to sneak in, if you must know," he replied, glancing over at Ranma. "Boy, I know that I constantly preach about how it's a martial artist's duty to defeat monsters, but in reality, that truly is the charge that our family was given in ancient times, when demons roamed the land freely. Plus, you heard what he said- The only way to free this kid from his grasp is to destroy him. Can you do it?" he asked plainly.

Ranma grinned wickedly as his aura flared up around him. "I was plannin' on it," he said coldly.

In response, Sergei hissed, bearing his fangs. "We shall see, human!" he snapped.

Genma nodded. "Alright then son, I'll get the kid outta here, and leave you to it," he said, fading from view with the Umisenken.

"COME BACK HERE!" Sergei roared, charging towards where Genma had faded from view, only to have to stop suddenly as Ranma slammed his fist into the wall centimeters from his face.

"Nuh-uh, you're fightin' me," Ranma growled out.

* * *

Akane and Kuma backed up, breathing heavily and surrounded by a half-dozen ghouls, with Suki standing just behind them, laughing maniacally, her face bloody and one of her fangs snapped off at the base from one of Akane's punches.

"You've put up a good fight, but now you are going to die! Get her my pets!" she screeched shrilly, not wanting to get too close to the young girl again herself, lest she wind up like one of the twenty-something ghouls that had already been destroyed by the duo.

In response, the ghouls leapt towards the pair, their eyes blazing hungrily.

"Get ready Kuma-kun!" Akane yelled, sliding into a fighting stance as the ghouls began to descend. In the blink of an eye, a figure imposed between them, filling the air with a high-pitched ringing sound, and the ghouls abruptly fell to pieces, showering Akane and Kuma with harmless, if disgusting chunks of rotting flesh.

"Wh-Wha?" Akane started, blinking in confusion.

"Akane, are you alright?" Nodoka asked, still facing forward with her sword gripped loosely at her side, glaring at Suki.

"Au-Auntie Nodoka, is that really you?" Akane asked, feeling her bewilderment grow, "what are you doing here?!"

Nodoka nodded, turning her head just enough to look at Akane out of the corner of her eye. "We were in the city, looking for Ranma, when we felt his ki flare up, and came to see what was wrong. Genma is in the building right now, seeing if he can help, and I'm here to lend you a hand," she explained.

"Buh-but I thought you didn't like me..." Akane said, her voice subdued.

Nodoka shook her head. "I am not pleased with you, but that doesn't mean that I'm just going to let you die," she replied, "so what is this thing that we are facing off against?"

"HEY!" Suki yelled, affronted. "I'm not a 'thing' lady, I'm a vampire! One of the strongest there is! So show me some respect will you?!" she demanded angrily.

Nodoka snorted. "Why should I respect someone who hurts others for no reason?" she asked blandly.

Suki sweat-dropped, not having a good answer. "Fine then, I'll show you!" she yelled, raising her arm, calling forth several more ghouls that came from inside the building. "Let's see how long you can play with my pets!"

At that moment, Genma shimmered into view, standing at the section of crumbled wall on the fourth floor that Ranma had entered earlier. "_More monsters?_" he asked himself, leaping out of the window, briefly letting go of Keiko to free up both of his hands. "Demon-God Multiple Strike!" He yelled, pulling his hands in close, then flinging them out, creating a myriad of vacuum blades that rained down on the unsuspecting ghouls, slicing them to pieces. He caught Keiko again, landing lightly as he cradled the unconscious girl in his arms.

"Sorry I'm late," he said jovially.

"WHAT?! ANOTHER ONE!" Suki screeched, her eyes bulging as she witnessed the whole-sale slaughter of the last of the ghouls. "That's it, I've had enough! There isn't any way in hell I'm gonna beat you guys, you ain't human! I'm outta here!" she yelled, turning tail and running, bounding over the concrete fence and disappearing into the night.

"Well, that was unexpected..." Akane deadpanned as she and the others sweat-dropped. Looking over, she spotted Keiko in Genma's arms. "Oh, that must be the girl! What's wrong with her?" she asked worriedly.

Genma looked down at the unconscious child in his arms. "She was bitten by that other vampire, and the only way to save her is for him to be destroyed, so Ranma's taking care of it," he replied.

"What?!" Akane yelled, "and you just left him up there?!"

Genma shot Akane a stern look. "I didn't want to, but the girl was more important, and this fight is Ranma's. He needs to go through with it," he replied, gently laying Keiko. down. "Besides, I need to hunt down that other vampire before it gets away. It's my duty as a member of the Saotome clan to ensure that it doesn't harm anyone else," he went on, standing up as he tightened his belt.

Nodoka nodded, pride shining in her eyes. "I understand husband. Don't worry, we'll take care of the girl."

Genma nodded, turning his back on them. "Alright then. I'll be back soon." With that, he was off like a rocket, chasing after Suki.

* * *

Ranma pulled his fist from the concrete beside Sergei's head, glaring up at the snarling vampire. "You ready to die?" he asked, cracking his neck.

"We'll see who dies!" Sergei snarled, raising one of his hands above his head, his fingers curled into claws as he brought his hand down in a sharp, slashing motion with the intention of splitting Ranma's neck open.

Ranma stepped into the strike, letting Sergei's forearm bounce harmlessly off of his shoulder as he struck out with the flats of his palms and sent the vampire flying down the hall, where he rolled a few times before righting himself, sliding a few feet more on his hands and knees.

"I'll tell ya somethin'." Ranma started as he began to walk towards Sergei, who was looking at him in shock. "I ain't been tryin' at all. I just needed ta find out how ta save Keiko. An' now that I know, I ain't gonna hold back any more," he said, and a small smirk formed. "Y'know, ya should probably feel honored, 'cuz you're gonna be the first person that I go all out with this move on." He said.

Sergei got up, trying to shake off the pain of the blow he'd received. "Oh really? And what's that?" he sneered, crouching down as he prepared to attack.

Ranma held out his right fist, clenching it as his ki surged to life about him, becoming a raging, blue inferno that bathed the hallway in a nearly-blinding light.

"The Iron Body technique, at full power." He replied, his teeth gritting together as the raging inferno seemed to shrink in on itself, sinking into his skin until it was just a faint sheen. With a grunt of pain dragging from his lips, all of Ranma's muscles strained, standing out in taut chords. "I hope you're ready for this!" he snarled, his feet turning ever so slightly-

-then he was rushing towards Sergei at speeds that the vampire could hardly follow, the floor buckling from his starting point as he rushed in, slamming his knee into Sergei's face, sending him flying the rest of the way down the hall to crash into the far wall. In an instant, Ranma was already on top of him again, grabbing Sergei by the throat with a vice-like grip.

"Let's see how ya like Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" he snarled as his other fist seemed to disappear, slamming into Sergei's mid-section several hundred times as he let go of his hold on the vampire's throat, knocking him through the wall with the force of his repeated blows.

Sergei managed a choked gasp of pain as blood and spittle flew from his mouth, slamming hard on the ground just outside of the building.

"HOW?!" he snarled, rolling to his feet and looking up just as Ranma landed on the ground a few yards from him, his hands in his pockets as he regarded Sergei coldly. "HOW CAN YOU BE SO STRONG?!"

Ranma cocked his head to the side as he regarded Sergei with a frigid glare, pulling out one of his hands to thumb his nose. "Trust me, even with this, it ain't anywhere near my full-strength. Luckily for you, I got hit with a strength-stealin' technique a while back, and I still ain't recovered. But..." he looked over to where Akane and Nodoka were, staring at him with shocked expressions, and standing guardedly in front of Keiko.

"But..." he said slowly, looking at Keiko's unconscious form, already pale, "...I can go all out against ya, because you're a monster that hurts innocent, helpless people for fun and..." He turned his gaze back to Sergei, his expression becoming thunderous. "AND THAT REALLY PISSES ME OFF!" he roared, charging at Sergei again, catching the vampire in the side with a brutal snap-kick that left the vampire doubled over, gasping as he held his abused ribs.

Sergei snarled, lashing out at Ranma from his bent-over position, only for the teen to easily dodge out of the way of his strikes before lashing out again, catching him in the nose with a straight left that sent him careening backwards, clutching at the now-ruined nose, trying futilely to stench the blood flow.

"Ruh-Ranma?" Akane breathed, her eyes wide with shock and trepidation- She'd never seen him be this brutal with anyone before!

"Y'know..." Ranma started, looking at Sergei, "what I hit ya with earlier was the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken, an advanced ki technique that lets ya move parts of your body at super-high speeds. What I used on ya was the basic version that was taught to me, but...there's an even more advanced version, that serves a very different purpose," he drawled.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Sergei snarled, trying to focus on the teen through the haze of pain he was feeling as he tried to right his nose again.

"This. Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken." Ranma said simply, starting forward-

-Then he disappeared, much to everyone's surprise as a line of broken ground erupted, trailing from where Ranma had been to behind Sergei, where Ranma reappeared. He slammed his foot harshly into Sergei's spine, knocking the vampire forward as he disappeared again, reappearing in front of Sergei this time and slamming a backhand into the side of his face, knocking some of his teeth out and sending him careening away, only to appear in Sergei's path once again, pin-balling him around the courtyard for several seconds before finally stopping. Ranma grabbed Sergei's face, keeping the vampire from falling to the ground.

"So, ya like pickin' on those who are weaker than you, huh?" he asked coldly, ignoring the spasms that raged throughout his body, "well how do ya like bein' on the receivin' end, huh? HUH?!" he roared angrily, slamming a foot down on one of Sergei's knees, breaking it and causing him to scream incoherently in pain. "Y'know somethin', I finally figured out what is so off about yer ki." Ranma said coldly, staring down at the whimpering vampire. "It lacks the warmth of life. It's as cold as the grave. Which makes it perfect for this," he stated, "Akane! Take Keiko 'n mom outta here, I'm gonna finish this."

Sergei looked up past Ranma's fingers, fear in his eyes. "Whu-What?" He managed to gulp.

Suddenly, a bit of Ranma's ki leaked out again, becoming a raging inferno about him. "I'll show ya! Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" he exclaimed, taking off at an insane speed again, dragging Sergei along beside him as he ran in a huge loop, tightening it into a spiral, closing in on the center.

"Oh crap!" Akane exclaimed, her eyes widening in realization as she quickly scooped up Keiko's unconscious form in her arms. "Auntie Nodoka, Kuma-kun! Run for it!" she yelled, taking off for the entrance to the grounds. Kuma, wanting to stay with his girl-human, immediately ran after her, panting.

Nodoka looked back to where Ranma had disappeared from, only able to vaguely track him by the closing spiral of earth that was kicked up by his passing, before heeding both Ranma and Akane's advice, sheathing her sword and running after the fleeing girl.

"Akane! What's going on?!" she asked, quickly catching up, exiting the front gate just behind Akane, Keiko, and Kuma.

Akane spared a glance over her shoulder, trying to judge when they would be a safe distance away- the swirling vortex of ki was almost as large as when Ranma had fought Happosai and the others! "Ranma's going to use the Hiryu-Shoten-Ha! It's a really dangerous move!" she replied, finally skidding to a halt dozens of yards away from the abandoned lot.

Nodoka stopped as well, looking back. "Really? What-" She started, only for the words to die in her throat as a huge tornado sprang to life, taking the form of an ascending dragon as it ripped the surrounding area, including the condemned building, to shreds.

* * *

Ranma appeared at the center of the spiral, holding Sergei aloft with one hand wrapped around his neck, ignoring the vampire's futile attempts to pry his hand off. "HIRYU-SHOTEN-HA!" Ranma roared, letting his ki flicker so that he could strike the eye of the spiral with a blast of cold. In response, a huge tornado sprung up around the duo, raging towards the Heavens.

"What is this?!" Sergei wailed, kicking futilely at Ranma with his good leg.

Ranma ignored the kicks. "The beginning of the end." He replied, tightening his grip on Sergei's throat to shut him up. He leapt into the vortex, letting the harsh winds carry them higher and higher into the sky, not bothering to fight. Several seconds later, they reached the apex, flying out of the top of the dissipating winds, nearly two hundred feet above the ground below.

"Now, for the second part," Ranma said coldly, switching his position in the air, clamping both of his legs around Sergei's right arm, his feet resting on his chest, and grabbing his wrist in both hands as they continued to spin in the air.

* * *

"What's Ranma doing?!" Akane exclaimed, watching the minute figures in the sky.

At that moment, Genma made his appearance, a large lump on the side of his head, and his glasses askew. "No way! Ranma found out a way to actually do it!" he exclaimed, clenching his fists as he looked up.

Nodoka shot a glance over at her husband. "Genma, what are you talking about? And what on earth happened to you?" she asked as Akane looked on, curious.

Genma straightened his glasses. "Well..." he started, "I finally caught up to that vampire in the back yard of a fairly modest house, and after using an improvised stake, I did away with her- But before I could start back, a light came on in the house, and looking up, I spotted a woman in the window where the light was coming from. She screamed about me being a pervert, and threw a frying pan at my head," he explained, somewhat sheepish, causing both women and the bear to sweat-drop.

"But that's beside the point!" he exclaimed, attempting to divert attention from himself as he looked up, "I know that position! Ranma and I both have spent several years trying to perfect an ultimate technique, which he is about to do, but we could never get sufficient height for it- But the Hiryu-Shoten-Ha eliminates that flaw! Ranma could actually pull it off!" he went on.

* * *

High in the air, Ranma grinned grimly as he and Sergei continued to spin from the aftermath of the Hiryu-Shoten-Ha.

"I hope yer ready for this," he stated, "'Cuz It's gonna hurt like hell! Saotome Anything Goes Ultimate Final Attack, Spiraling Hawk Strike!" he yelled, twisting his body around, increasing the rotation that they were already in. Their spin became tighter and faster as they approached the ground at high speed. At the last instant, Ranma positioned Sergei directly beneath himself, still holding on to his arm, and lifted one of his legs high above Sergei. With a sickening crunch, the two impacted with the ground, Ranma bringing his foot down in a brutal axe kick that crushed into Sergei's chest, causing the ground around them for several yards to crater with the force of the blow.

"How'd ya like that one?!" Ranma yelled at the semi-conscious Sergei, rolling to his feet, still holding Sergei's arm in one hand. Almost dismissively, Ranma flung the crushed vampire away, towards the edge of the now destroyed lot.

Shaking his head, Sergei somehow managed to sit up, looking at Ranma in wide-eyed fear as he began to stalk towards him. Scrambling around, Sergei happened upon the gun that the ghoul that Ranma had crushed earlier had dropped, picking the pistol up, his hands shaking with fear and pain as he pointed it towards Ranma.

"Stuh-STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY YOU MONSTER!" he screamed shrilly, pulling the trigger.

Ranma's eyes widened a bit as the bullet exited the barrel, streaking towards him...and dodged, spinning out of the way in the last possible instant.

"What?! How?!" Sergei screamed, firing the pistol several more times, Ranma dodging each shot, until the gun clicked empty. "Please! Leave me alone! Let me live!" He begged, backing up as Ranma started for him again.

In an instant, Ranma was above the vampire, pulling his left hand back. He stopped, breathing heavily, looking down at Sergei with an unreadable expression. The vampire screeched and raised his arms above his head protectively.

After several seconds, Sergei tentatively lowered his arms a bit, looking up at Ranma, his eyes wide. "Yuh-you can't do it, can you? YOU CAN'T DO IT!" He laughed shrilly.

"Wrong," Ranma snarled, plunging his hand into Sergei's chest, causing the vampire to scream in incomprehensible pain, "this is for Keiko, an' for everyone else you've ever hurt! Dragon's Fang Blast!" Ranma snarled, a blue glow emanating from around his arm.

"NOOO!" Sergei screamed, blowing apart in a spray of gore that quickly turned to ash and scattered in the wind.

"It's done," Ranma said tiredly, finally deactivating the Iron body technique as he stared at the spot where Sergei died.

"Ranma!"

Looking up, Ranma only had an instant to register his surprise as a sobbing Akane tackled him to the ground, his parents and Kuma rushing up a few seconds later. "What were you thinking you idiot?! You could've been hurt!" she cried, clutching onto him.

Ranma chuckled mirthlessly, rubbing Akane's back. "Ya don't have ta worry Akane, I'm right here..." he said quietly, giving her a light hug.

"What... What about Keiko?" he asked slowly, looking up towards his parents. Keiko lay limp in Genma's arms, an unreadable look on the old man's face. "No..." he breathed, his eyes widening. Slipping out from under Akane, Ranma quickly got up, rushing to Genma's side, taking Keiko into his arms. "Keiko! C'mon Keiko, wake up!" he begged, shaking her slightly.

Much to everyone's immense relief, Keiko let out a low, audible groan, shifting slightly as her eyes began to flutter open, color slowly returning to her face.

"Ruh-Ranma...poppa?" She asked weakly. "Ranma...poppa... I was... scared... It hurt so much..." she moaned.

"Keiko!" Ranma cried out with relief, collapsing to his knees as he clutched her to his chest, rocking her. "Don't worry, daddy's got you," he said quietly, resting his head against hers, "Daddy's got you."

**-TBC-**

A/N– Ho ho! Another chapter done! Now, I know that I'm probably going to get a few raised eyebrows due to this chapter, for such things as the gun scene, with Ranma dodging bullets and what not- But I've got an argument to any nay-sayers! 1st, it's pretty safe to assume that Ranma is stronger and faster than anyone from Tekken, right? Well, in the opening sequence to Tekken 6, it has Bob, one of the new characters, dodge out of the way of several gunshots, taking down several robbers in the process, and there is no way that Bob is faster than Ranma! And second, this is my story! I can do as I please! Mua ha ha ha!

*clears throat* that aside, please review and tell me what you think!


	14. Chapter 14 Two Mommies!

A/N– Hullo folks! I'm sure that all of you are wondering where I've been for so long... Well, I'm not going to bore you with details, as I'm sure you don't really care, so on with the show!

Disclaimer- Meh, it's the same as it always is folks! Me no is owning Ranma!

-Chapter 14-

-TWO MOMMIES?-

Ranma sat in the waiting area of an emergency room, bouncing one leg nervously and looking up every time someone came out of the ER, only to sigh when they would call for someone else. "Dammit, what's takin' so long? Is Keiko ok?" he grumbled after fifteen minutes.

Akane put a reassuring hand on Ranma's jittering leg, stilling it with her touch. "I'm sure everything is fine Ranma. You saved her, and we got her here quickly. I'm sure that the doctors are just making sure that she's ok," she assured, rubbing his leg a few times.

Ranma looked over at Akane, his gaze softening. "Yeah. You're probably right Akane. I'm sorry, I'm just so worried about her."

Nodoka, who was sitting across from the young couple with her husband, perked at that. "Ranma dear, who is that little girl anyway? I know that it was important that you save her, because no child should ever be hurt, but why are you so anxious over her? And why did you call yourself her 'daddy'?" she asked, hoping to get Ranma's mind off of Keiko's current situation— though she was genuinely curious.

Akane and Genma looked towards Ranma as well, also curious about the answer to that question, which had been at the back of both of their minds.

"Well..." Ranma started, looking down at his hands, a faint smile playing across his face at the memory. "It was late at night, about four days after I ran from the dojo. I'd just set up camp, an' was about ta start my dinner, when she came crashin' into my campsite, with that bear that's been accompanyin' Akane hot on her heels. I managed ta drive it off, but she fainted, so I just set her up so she'd be more comfortable, and then I went ta sleep myself."

Ranma leaned back in his seat, getting more comfortable as he chuckled. "Anyway... When I woke up the next mornin', she was asleep on my chest! It freaked me out, an' I got away from her as fast as I could," he told them, causing Akane and Nodoka to laugh, "Anyway, I woke her up, an' asked her what she was doin' out there in the first place, an' she told me she was tryin' ta make her way ta Nerima!" He exclaimed.

Akane blinked in surprise. "She was heading for Nerima?" she asked, confused. 'Why would she be coming there?"

Ranma shook his head. "Apparently, those vampires had been around for a while, and had snatched a coupla' kids already, not ta mention other people from around here. Anyway, she saw a news report one night that talked about us and what we could do, so she thought she'd come and get us so that we could help. Of course, after hearin' her story, I had ta come help, my sense of duty wouldn't let me do anything else, and set out for Iwaki with her ta see what I could do ta help. While we traveled, I started teachin' her the basics of the Saotome Anything Goes school, an' we were havin' fun. I don't really know when it happened, but the squirt managed ta work her way into my heart. I started carin' about her, an' I eventually found myself thinkin' that I really was her dad, y'know? Heh... She even calls me Ranma-poppa when I'm a guy, and Ranma-momma when I'm in my cursed form!" he exclaimed with a laugh.

Akane started giggling at that, and Nodoka raised an eyebrow, though she was smiling at the story as well.

"Oho? And do you think that you can raise her as a father should? Or a mother?" she asked with a slight chuckle.

Ranma looked down at the floor, blushing a bit as he scratched the back of his head.

"Well... yeah," he replied, his voice firm with resolve, "I know I ain't the most mature of guys, an' I've got quite a bit of growin' up ta do, an' I didn't exactly have the best role model growin' up—" With that, he shot Genma a pointed stare, to which the middle-aged man harrumphed, crossing his arms as he turned his head. "—But I think... no, I know that I can do what I need ta in order ta be a good parent." He looked back at his mother. "She needs me, that's all there is to it," he finished.

Akane reached over, taking Ranma's hand in her own, giving it a squeeze. "Ranma, are you sure?" she asked.

Ranma turned his head, looking at his fiancée with a somewhat confused expression. "Yeah I'm sure. Why do ya ask Akane?" he questioned, tilting his head a little to the side.

Akane shook her head, a small smile spreading. "Oh, no reason is all. I'll... I'll stick with you in this Ranma, if you're really sure," she replied, seeming content. "Though... It's good to see you showing some maturity for once!" she exclaimed with a mirthful glint in her eye.

"Hey!" Ranma sputtered, looking indignant. Hearing both Akane and Nodoka burst into peals of laughter, he sighed, shaking his head ruefully. "Ok ok, I guess I deserved that one," he finally conceded.

"Mr. Saotome?"

The voice caught everyone by surprise, causing them to all whirl around to face the speaker- A pretty young nurse who looked to be in her late twenties. "Yes?" Ranma and Genma asked at the same time, then turned their heads to look at one another.

"I think she was talkin' ta me pop," Ranma said dryly.

The nurse looked down at the chart she held in her arms. "So you are Ranma Saotome? The one who brought the girl in, yes?" she asked, interrupting whatever Genma was going to say.

Ranma nodded, standing up, Akane by his side. "Yeah, that's me. How's Keiko doin'? Is she alright?" he asked worriedly.

The nurse flipped thoughtfully through a few more pages of the chart, studying them. "Yes, according to the report she's in perfectly good health— even better than what you'd normally expect for a seven year old girl, in fact. Aside from a few small things, such as her exhaustion, which will be gone after a good night's sleep, and a pair of small wounds on her neck.. All in all though, she can be released today," she went on, finally reaching the end of the chart. "Now then... may I ask who you really are? You've listed yourself as her father here, but given her age and your own age, which is listed as sixteen, I find that to be a pretty big improbability. As a nurse, it's my duty to look out for the well-being of those I'm taking care of, so would you mind explaining this quandary?" she asked, her tone cool as she looked up at Ranma.

Ranma nodded, "Yeah. Keiko ain't my daughter by blood, if that's what yer askin'. I'm a martial artist from Nerima, an' was travelin' on the road when she stumbled on my camp, and after savin' her from a wild bear, I escorted her back here to the city, and while we were travelin', we bonded, an' she kinda unofficially became my daughter. I'm plannin' on makin' it legal and adoptin' her just as soon as I get the chance," he explained.

The nurse twitched. "You found her on the road, and she was being chased by a bear?" She asked in a disbelieving tone.

Ranma nodded, missing the nurse's disbelief. "Yeah! As a matter of fact, the bear's right out there!" he replied, turning and pointing out of one of the doors to the emergency ward, where Kuma was sitting, waiting patiently. Looking up, he spotted Ranma pointing at him, as well as the others looking, and perked up, raising one paw to wave at them.

Akane smiled, returning Kuma's wave. "Hey Kuma-kun! Are you being a good boy out there?" she called out. Getting a nod from the bear, her smile grew. "That's good! I'll buy you a nice big salmon later if you continue to be good. How does that sound?"

Hearing that, Kuma perked up even more and began to pant happily, he loved salmon! Nodding in agreement Kuma lay down, resting his head on his paws, showing that he would comply with Akane's request.

The nurse dropped her chart, her eyes widening in shocked fright, "EEEYAA! It's a bear!" she screeched, pointing as she hid behind Ranma. "What is a bear doing here? We've got to call the police!"

Ranma looked curiously over his shoulder at the nurse along with the others. "What're ya talkin' about lady? The bear ain't gonna hurt nobody, not as long as he knows food is on the line, an' that we'll beat him up if he attacks anybody. So don't worry 'bout it, ok?" he asked.

The nurse blinked a few times, looking up at Ranma incredulously. "What are you talking about? That thing is easily four or five times your size and probably weighs over seven hundred pounds! It'd kill you in an instant!"

Ranma raised an eyebrow at that. "Huh? What're ya talkin' about? A bear ain't that hard ta beat. A punch here, a kick there, and he's down!"

The nurse reached up, grabbing Ranma by his ear. "Are you on crack or something? That thing is a bear! A BEAR! B. E. A. R.! No human alive could beat a bear bare-handed, it's impossible! I'd just as soon as believe in magic as I would anybody beating a bear— especially a young guy like you!" she practically yelled in his ear.

"Hey, hey! Easy there lady!" Ranma groused, pulling away from the nurse, accidentally bumping into Genma, who in turn fell into a delivery man who was just about to put a fresh tank of water on a cooler. The delivery man yelled in surprise, throwing his arms up to catch himself, causing the water jug to fly into the air, splashing water everywhere, though it only hit Ranma and Genma, instantly transforming them both into their cursed forms.

"Gah! What the hell?" Ranma screeched, her voice becoming several octaves higher, while Genma growfed in annoyance.

"Wh-wh-wh-" The nurse could only stutter, her eyes as wide as saucers as she sank to her knees in shock.

"Heh heh... sorry 'bout this..." Ranma said, sheepishly scratching the back of her head as she looked down at the nurse, who was still looking at her in wide-eyed shock. "Hey lady, you ok?" Ranma asked with concern, waving her hand in front of the nurse's face, not getting a response.

'I think seeing that magic is real temporarily broke her.' Said a sign that Genma held up.

"Nah, ya think?" Ranma asked sarcastically, then turned to Nodoka. "Hey mom, what're we supposed ta do about this?" She asked.

Nodoka smiled. "Don't worry sweetie, I'll take care of it," she replied, going over to the nurse's station, where an older woman sat behind the desk, smiling serenely. "Excuse me, but the nurse over there has seemed to become overwhelmed. Is there any chance we could go back anyway and visit little Keiko?" she asked sweetly.

"Sure!" The nurse replied, looking down at her chart. "Keiko Saotome is in room fifteen. However, I am afraid that your panda must wait outside with the bear unless he can find some way to change back. He would probably cause a scene otherwise," she explained.

Nodoka nodded. "Alright then. Thank you very much." She replied with a bow, then turned towards Genma. 'Well husband, you heard her. Don't worry, we won't be too long," she said

'Fine fine.' Genma quickly squiggled, seeming put out as he turned away and butted the door open with his muzzle, heading for Kuma.

"I've gotta say, you seem pretty calm about all this, considering what just happened." Akane said conversationally to the nurse behind the desk.

"Dear, after twenty years on the job, things just don't surprise me anymore." The nurse tittered, pressing a button on the desk. 'There you go, the door is unlocked now, you can go in whenever you want," she said, gesturing to the door that lead to the hospital rooms.

Ranma smiled happily. "Hey, thanks lady!" She exclaimed, grabbing Akane and Nodoka by the hand, quickly making her way through the door, pulling them along.

* * *

Outside, Genma lumbered over to Kuma, who sat up. "So, you're Kuma?" He asked, the sounds coming out as a series of growls and woofs.

Kuma cocked his head to the side, studying the strange new panda before him "I Kuma." He agreed. "Who you? Got salmon? Where my girl human?" he asked.

Genma lifted a paw, waving the questions off. "You hungry? I think I saw a sushi place not too far from here when we were bringing Keiko over," he replied.

Kuma tilted his head to the other side. "Got salmon?"

Genma sighed. "Is that all you think about?" Upon getting a nod of agreement from the bear, he sighed again. "Yes, they probably have salmon. You wanna go get some?"

"Salmon!" Kuma agreed happily, and the two set off from the hospital, heading for the sushi stand.

* * *

Akane and Nodoka made their way down the hospital corridor, following behind Ranma, who had quickly ducked into a bathroom to change back into a man a moment earlier, when he promptly slowed to a halt right in front of them, his shoulders heaving as his breathing became ragged. He stumbled to the side, steadying himself with one arm as he raised his other to his mouth, covering it when he coughed a few times. Alarmed, Akane rushed to his side.

"Ranma! Are you alright?" she asked with concern, placing a hand on his elbow.

Ranma lowered his hand and looked over at his fiancée, giving her a small, forced grin.

"Yeah 'Kane, ain't nothin' ta worry 'bout," he replied heavily, straightening himself up, letting his arms drop to his sides.

Nodoka, who was still behind the pair, looked down at the hand Ranma had used to cover his mouth. When he turned his wrist slightly, she saw a flash of red.

"You certainly aren't fine young man!" she exclaimed, reaching out and grabbing Ranma by the wrist, jerking his hand up to expose his palm, which was covered with flecks of blood. "Ranma! What is going on with you? Are you hurt?" she asked worriedly.

Ranma pulled his arm away. "Ya don't have ta worry about it," he said, turning away.

"But Ranma-!" Akane reached out, grabbing him by his arm before he could start away again.

"I said it ain't nothin' ta worry about!" Ranma snapped, probably more harshly than he intended as he tried to pull from her grasp.

Akane felt her anger rising. "You big jerk!" she yelled. "You aren't alright and you know it! Why are you bleeding like that?" she demanded, firming her grip.

Ranma looked away. "It's the price I gotta pay for usin' the Saotome Style, Iron Body technique," he replied. Seeing the looks of confusion on both Akane and his mother's faces, Ranma sighed, and began to explain. "The Iron Body is one of the principal techniques of the Saotome School of Iron Dragon Fist-" he started.

"What's that?" Akane asked with confusion. "I never heard you or your father talk about that style before. Is it part of Anything Goes?"

Ranma shook his head, but before he could speak up, Nodoka interrupted. "No," she replied, her eyes widening a bit, "the Iron Dragon Fist is an ancient style, passed down through the generations of the Saotome family, from one master to another. Ranma's grandfather and Genma's father, Genryu, was the last master of the style, but my husband forsook it for Happosai's Anything Goes style. Ranma, where did you learn it from?" she asked.

"Well-" Ranma started, pausing for a second to see if he would be interrupted again before he told them. "Back when I was in a coma after savin' Akane from a fall, I received a visit from the spirits of her mom, an' Grandpa. After they set me straight, Gramps taught me a bit of our family style, an' told me where I could find the scrolls ta continue on and gain my mastery of it," he replied.

"Oh my..." Nodoka gasped, covering her mouth. "So you actually saw your grandfather? I can still remember when he passed..."

Ranma looked at his mother when she said that. "How'd he pass anyway? There a story there?" he asked.

Nodoka nodded. "Yes, but it would be best to ask your father about it some other time. Now, as you were saying about the technique?" she asked, attempting to divert the conversation.

Ranma gave his mother a suspicious glance, but decided to humor her. "Well, The Iron Body is a strong technique, but it's a double-edged sword," he explained. "It grants it's user a huge increase in power, as well as a bit in speed, by usin' the fighter's ki ta super-charge their muscles. The drawback ta this technique is that it can't be held for very long, especially at full power, because the strain it puts on the user's body- It puts a lotta pressure on their muscles, an' they eventually start ta wear out an' tear. I used it at full power last night for the first time, an' pulled a lotta my muscles, even snapped a few. It really wore me out, an' I've got some internal bleedin', but it's really nothin' ta worry about," he explained.

"I don't understand!" Akane exclaimed, confused and upset. "When you woke up from your coma, you were healed in no time at all, and you'd been hurt a lot worse!"

Ranma shook his head. "Ya gotta remember Akane, I'd already been healin' for a week, an' when I woke up, I was able ta pour a lotta ki into healin' what was still hurt. Last night I had ta use a lotta ki ta kill Sergei, an' I haven't slept or eaten since then, so I ain't recovered hardly any ki ta use and heal myself," he explained.

"Ranma..." Nodoka said with concern, moving in closer to her son. "How are you feeling after that?"

Ranma looked at his mother stonily. 'You talkin' about me killin' Sergei? That bastard hurt Keiko, who ain't done nothin' bad ta nobody, not ta mention everyone else that he's hurt. I don't like what I did, but I ain't gonna regret it either, an' I'd do the same thing over again a hundred times ta save Keiko's life." he replied.

Nodoka nodded, a small, heavy smile playing. "Spoken like a true martial artist and man among men. I'm proud of you, my son," she said warmly.

Akane nodded, but still looked unsure. "Please Ranma, just take care of yourself, ok? I can't bear the thought of losing you again," she pleaded, taking his hands in her own as she looked up into his eyes.

Ranma blushed, feeling the intensity of Akane's gaze.

"_Man, she is really cute_," he thought to himself, scratching his nose with his free hand. "Uh, yeah Akane, whatever ya say..." he agreed meekly, his eyes drawing to her lips, which were pouted out slightly. "_Aww man..._" he thought, drawing closer to her without realizing it.

Akane smiled. "Thank you Ranma," she replied, noticing how he was looking at her.

"_Wh-why is he looking at me like that?" _She wondered, her heart beginning to beat a little faster. "_He's leaning in! Does... Does he want to kiss me? The first time was in the heat of the moment, but this... I don't know... but... Ok_!" Closing her eyes, Akane shyly tilted her face up, her lips beginning to pucker in anticipation.

"Ahem."

With a screech, the two teens sprang apart, Ranma pressing himself up against the wall as tightly as he could as he looked around wildly while Nodoka burst out laughing at what she'd done. "Aren't we forgetting something?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

Ranma nodded, scratching the back of his head while he blushed. "Yu-yeah!" he replied hastily, making his way towards the door that led to Keiko's room. "You guys coming?" he asked, looking back.

Akane stepped forward, and was about to agree, when suddenly Nodoka's hand snaked out, grabbing hold of her arm. "You go on ahead dear. I'm sure that Keiko would just want to see you for now, and besides, Akane and I have a few things to talk about." Seeing the pensive look on her son's face, she made a shooing gesture with her other hand. "Go, go! We'll be in there in just a moment."

"Oh, ok..." Ranma said, though still uncertain, and disappeared through the door.

Akane looked up at Nodoka confusedly. "Au-Auntie Nodoka?" she asked uncertainly.

Nodoka turned her gaze on Akane, her smile becoming predatory. "You and I have a few things to talk about, 'daughter'," she said, causing Akane to wince at her tone.

* * *

Genma and Kuma lumbered to the small sushi stand, stopping briefly to look up at the name of the joint.

_"Hmmm... Tendou Gekiumi Sushi? Sounds interesting."_ Genma thought to himself before nuzzling the flap open and going in, followed by his ursine companion, scaring many of the patrons.

The man behind the counter, a small Chinese man, didn't seem so fazed however. "Yeah? What you want panda? I no got all day!" he snapped as Genma and Kuma lumbered up to the counter.

Pulling out a sign, Genma quickly wrote on it. 'Hey, you got any salmon?' the sign asked as he held it up.

"Yeah, we got salmon!" The chef agreed. "You want deluxe salmon sushi? Want wasabi to go with that?" he asked rapidly in broken Japanese.

'Yes please, along with a bottle of Sapporo for me' -flip- 'and a dish of water for my friend here.' Said a sign that Genma held up, flipping it a few times to make sure that the chef got it all.

"Yeah yeah, I got it! You go ovah there now and sit!" the chef groused, gesturing to the far end of the bar.

With a nod, Genma motioned to Kuma, and the two waddled over, knocking the seats aside so that they could plop down comfortably on the floor. "Salmon?" Kuma growfed hopefully, looking at Genma.

Genma nodded. "Yeah, he'll be bringing over the food in a minute," he told Kuma, who tilted his head to the side.

"Salmon!" Genma just hung his head and sighed.

* * *

Ranma crept quietly into the room, his gaze trained on Keiko, who looked so small as she lay in bed, the sheets covering her rising and falling with the rhythm of her breathing, her eyes closed in sleep as the monitor beside her beat a steady pulse. As quietly as he could, Ranma grabbed a chair and pulled it over beside the bed, sitting down in it.

"Keiko..." He thought, looking down at her face. "I'm so sorry... I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop that bastard from taking you..." Absently, he reached out to brush her bangs out of her eyes.

As soon as Ranma's fingers touched her forehead, Keiko let out a low moan, her eyes fluttering tiredly open. Glancing around, she saw Ranma, which caused her eyes to light up happily. "Ranma-poppa!" she exclaimed, then yawned, stretching. "What's goin' on Ranma-poppa? Where am I?" she asked, tired, but curious.

Ranma got up from his seat, opting to sit next to Keiko on the bed. "Well, you're in the hospital kiddo. We brought ya here ta make sure you were ok after what happened."

Keiko's eyes widened. "The monster!" She gasped. "Ranma-poppa, did ya save me?" Upon getting a silent nod, she reached up, wrapping her small arms around his waist as far as she could reach, squeezing with all her might. "I knew ya'd come for me! I tol' that mean ol' monster that you'd beat him up for takin' me, but he didn't believe me! Thank you Ranma-poppa!"

Ranma chuckled easily, reaching down to rub Keiko's head. "Hey, hey, it's no problem, yeah? I told ya that no monster would be able ta stop the great Ranma Saotome! Especially when he takes my daughter!"

Hearing that, Keiko let go of Ranma, staring up at him with wide-eyed wonder. "Ranma-poppa..." she started, tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes. "... Do ya really mean that?" she gasped, holding her hands up to her mouth.

Ranma chuckled again, ruffling Keiko's hair. "If ya want. I'm even plannin' on adoptin' ya and takin' ya home. You'll officially be Keiko Saotome, daughter of Ranma. But only if ya want to, of course," he informed her.

The tears began to spill freely down Keiko's cheeks as she began to sniffle. "Oh daddy, yes!" she cried out happily, latching onto Ranma again, rubbing her face against his chest as Ranma wrapped his arms around her small frame. And so, as the morning sunlight bathed the hospital room, the new father and daughter embraced one another.

* * *

After the door closed behind Ranma, Akane looked between the shut door and the predatory-looking Nodoka. "Au-auntie Nodoka? What's going on?" she asked uncertainly.

"I think that you and I have a LOT to talk about young lady," Nodoka replied, her tone sharp. "Just what are you doing here anyway? I am grateful that you helped my son, but as I last remember it, you had decided that you hated him, and had called off the engagement. So, just what are you playing at? I will not allow you to hurt my son again!" she went on, her eyes blazing fiercely.

Akane looked down at the floor. "Auntie Nodoka... Do you remember that brooch that I found at the bathhouse? On the night of my blow-up?" she asked, her voice subdued.

Nodoka blinked in surprise, caught off-guard by the seemingly random change of topic. "Yes, what of it?" she asked suspiciously.

"Well... I know this is going to sound hard to believe—" Akane started, looking up. "—But the truth is that the brooch I'd found was a cursed item, one that was in Happosai's possession, and he was planning on using it on someone, but apparently our arrival there messed up his plans and he had to run off. That brooch, as it turns out, reverses the romantic feelings that someone has, causing them to express the exact opposite of what they really feel." She looked away, her eyes watering. "The truth is, I'm deeply in love with Ranma, Auntie Nodoka, and I didn't mean what I said that night!" She whipped her head back, her eyes locking with Nodoka's as a stray tear tracked down her left cheek. "Please, you've gotta believe me!"

Nodoka blinked in surprise again, taken aback by the story. "Really?" she asked in disbelief. When Akane nodded vigorously, Nodoka couldn't help but chuckle a little. "You know, I think I actually believe you."

"Wha-" Akane started, only to be hushed when Nodoka put a silencing finger to her lips.

"If you'd told me such an outlandish story before I'd found out about Ranma and Genma's curses, I'd call you a fool, and recommend that you be admitted into an asylum, but after such blatant displays of magic that my husband and son keep displaying, I find that I'm more open to something like your explanation." Nodoka told Akane, a twinkle appearing in her eyes. "And besides, when that old pervert is involved, anything is possible!" she exclaimed with a giggle.

Akane, caught completely off guard by Nodoka's change of mood couldn't help but giggle as well. "That's true!" she gasped, using the wall to support herself as she attempted to get her laughter under control.

Finally, after a few minutes, the two managed to calm themselves down. "Well, shall we?" Nodoka asked, gesturing to Keiko's room.

"Yeah!" Akane agreed, reaching for the door-handle.

* * *

After finishing their meal, Genma and Kuma sighed contentedly, reclining back a bit. "Ok..." Genma woofed, glancing around sneakily as he climbed to his feet. "Now we make a break for it, ok Kuma?" he asked, tip-toeing towards the entrance.

"Ok!" Kuma agreed, not understanding what Genma was talking about, but following him all the same, wondering if they were going somewhere else with salmon.

Just as the two were about to make their break, several knives and cleavers sailed through the air, stabbing into the wall all about them. "Hey! What'choo thinking panda? You gonna just eat and run? Nuh-uh! You pay big money for four of deluxe salmon sushi!" The owner exclaimed, leaping over the counter while waving around an especially-sharp looking meat cleaver in one hand and an iron frying pan in the other.

'But we don't have any money!' exclaimed a sign that Genma held up.

The chef crossed his arms, looking down at Genma crossly. "Then you work for food, yes? Carry round sandwich boards for few hours!" he ordered, gesturing to a pair of conveniently large enough sandwich boards advertising the restaurant sitting in one corner.

'Oh yeah? And who is gonna make us? You, shorty?' Asked a contemptuous sign that Genma held up as he and Kuma leered ominously over the small Chinese man, growling intimidatingly.

"WHOOCHA!" In a flurry of kicks, the chef sent both Kuma and Genma careening into the wall. "Who you callin' shorty you stupid throw-rug?" he yelled, looming over the pair. "You eat lot'sa delux salmon sushi, now you work to pay! Is no other choice!" He sneered, pulling the panda up as he hefted his cleaver up under Genma's neck. "We be understanding?"

'We be understanding! We be understanding!' exclaimed a hasty sign that Genma held up as he gulped, sweating nervously. Meanwhile, Kuma whimpered, wondering just how many humans there were that were stronger than him.

* * *

Ranma and Keiko looked up as the door opened up, revealing Akane and Nodoka, who walked into the room. "Ranma-poppa, who are they?" Keiko asked uncertainly, drawing closer to Ranma's side.

Ranma grinned. "Well, she-" he started, gesturing to Nodoka; "-is your grandmother, Nodoka."

Keiko looked up at Nodoka, blinking uncertainly. "My grandma?" she asked, poking her bottom lip with one finger.

Before anyone had a chance to react, Nodoka squealed happily, thrusting her sword into Ranma's arms as she gathered Keiko up into a tight hug, squashing the poor, shocked girl's face into her bosom. "Oh, she's just sooo cute! My grandbaby!" Nodoka cried out happily, raining kisses down on top of Keiko's head.

Ranma laughed. "Careful mom, ya don't wanna smother her!" he scolded, causing Nodoka to reluctantly let of Keiko, who looked around dazedly. "Hey, you ok kiddo?" he asked, amused.

Keiko blinked a few times, then looked up at Ranma. "What just happened, Ranma-poppa?"

Ranma laughed again. "You were just nearly hugged unconscious by your grandmother!"

Nodoka huffed, crossing her arms. "I didn't hug her THAT tightly." She groused good-naturedly.

Akane, looking between them, decided this was the perfect time to introduce herself. "Why hello there Keiko! I'm Akane, and it's very nice to meet you!" she chirped brightly, smiling down at the small girl as she held out her hand.

Keiko looked down at Akane's hand, then up to her face. "Oh? Are you my auntie then?" she asked innocently, blinking a few times.

At that, Ranma face-faulted and Akane sweat-dropped, taken aback by the question, while Nodoka burst into peals of laughter, covering her mouth with one hand as she turned away. "Nuh-no!" Akane exclaimed, finally finding her voice. "Actually, I'm..." She blushed a bit, her eyes glancing over towards Ranma, who was trying to stand back up. "I'm Ranma's fiancée... We're engaged to be married, so that would make me your-"

"NO!" The sudden and loud exclamation caught everyone off-guard, as Keiko stood up on her bed, her eyes blazing with anger as she clenched her fists at her sides. "Ranma-poppa is mine! You can't have him!" she yelled.

Ranma blinked in confusion, leaning towards Keiko. "Hey kiddo, what're ya talkin' abo-"

In a swift, surprising movement, Keiko suddenly pulled out a small mallet, bopping Ranma over the head with it, then wrapped him up in her bed sheet, securing it tightly and, in an astonishing show of strength, hefted her adoptive father over her head and sprung off the bed, catching Nodoka and Akane off guard as she darted between them, quickly running out the door.

"Keiko, wait!" Akane yelled, snapping out of her stupor a second later and turning to give chase.

"Yes, you don't have to do this child!" Yelled Nodoka from just behind Akane as they chased the small girl down the hospital corridor, surprising many people.

"No! She'll take him away from me!" Keiko yelled fiercely, turning her head just enough to blow a raspberry at Akane. However, a few seconds later, the small girl suddenly found her strength giving out. "Uh-oh!" she screeched, toppling over with Ranma, breathing heavily.

An instant later, Akane and Nodoka caught up. "Keiko! Are you ok?" Akane asked worriedly, approaching the small girl.

In response, Keiko jumped up, taking a basic anything goes stance. "You stay away!" she yelled, getting ready to lash out.

Before the small girl could do anything though, she was suddenly picked up by the back of her gown with a squawk of surprise, then turned until she was facing a bemused Ranma. "You've got some explaining to do young lady," he said calmly- a little too calmly.

Keiko could only gulp- She was in trouble, and she knew it.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, and Ranma was scratching his head in confusion as he sat on a hospital couch, with Keiko on his knee, and Akane and Nodoka both sitting across from them in chairs. "So let me get this straight, you think that Akane's gonna take me away from you? That I won't love ya with her in our lives?" he asked in bewilderment.

Keiko nodded slightly, looking at the floor with tears in her eyes, holding a cup of water in her hands.

Ranma sighed, rubbing his temples as he tilted his head back... Then surprised everyone as he began to laugh. "Baka!" he exclaimed, lightly bopping Keiko on the back of her head. "You think you can get rid of me so easily? I'm here ta stay!"

"Ranma-poppa?" Keiko asked in confusion, holding her head where Ranma had tapped it.

"Ranma's right, Keiko-chan." Akane said, surprising the young girl, who didn't notice her approach. "I never meant to scare you, and I definitely don't plan on splitting you up," she went on with a gentle smile, reaching out to tousle Keiko's hair. "As a matter of fact, I definitely look forward to having you around!"

Keiko looked up, her eyes meeting Akane's. "So you ain't gonna steal him from me?" she asked quietly.

"Nope!" Akane grinned. "As a matter of fact, it might take us both to keep him in line! So what do you say?"

Keiko looked up uncertainly at Ranma, who smiled, then back to Akane, biting her bottom lip. "... Ok..." She started. "But... If you're gonna be marryin' him... Does that mean you'll be my mommy?"

Akane was taken aback by that, surprised, but let it slip away as she smiled again. "If you'll let me," she replied.

Unable to help it, Keiko grinned a little. "I guess this means I'll have two mommies then!" she suddenly exclaimed, pouring enough of her water over Ranma to trigger the transformation.

An elderly man, hearing the proclamation, turned in his seat to see what the little girl was going on about, and spotted her sitting on the lap of a beautiful young red-head who had a surprised look on her face and wearing a wet shirt, with a blushing dark-haired girl standing over them, smiling fondly. His eyes darting between the two stunning girls, the man put two and two together, and yelped in surprise as blood spurted from his nose, causing him to fall to the floor in a perversely grinning heap, even as a couple of nurses rushed over to see why he'd fainted.

"I... I guess so..." Akane managed to say, still blushing while Ranma sheepishly scratched her nose and Keiko laughed. "Hey!" She suddenly spoke up. "How would you like some ice cream?" she asked, her blush receding.

At once, both Ranma's and Keiko's eyes began to sparkle as they looked up at Akane. "Yeah! Ice-cream!" They exclaimed simultaneously.

In the background, Nodoka smiled fondly, watching the new family begin to bond.

* * *

Genma and Kuma stood on either side of the sushi bar, wearing sandwich boards advertising it as they sweat-dropped. 'How much longer do we have to do this?' Complained a sign that Genma held out.

"Until you earn meal! Now be quiet and work lazy throw rug!" Yelled the chef from inside.

**-TBC-**

A/N– Yeah! Another chapter finished!


	15. No Chapter! Just an Author's Note!

Hiya folks! This is just a quick note from your friendly neighborhood Ranma fan! Before I get started though, you should just know that you don't need to review this, it's just a note!

Anyway, I was rereading the entire manga series from the start, when I stumbled across a little fact in the manga that I majorly messed up in my fic! In the manga, Shampoo and Ukyo don't meet each other until manga volume 14, which is two whole volumes after the whole moxibustion arc! (actually, it's technically a volume and a half, but who is counting?) Anyway, I've gone back and fixed this in my story, so now, in chapter four, there is an additional scene between Ukyo and Shampoo where they meet, then they start fighting after they find out who the other is!

^^ Anyway, that was just a quick note, and I'm going to be taking it down when I post chapter 15, which will be soon!


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